Skip to main content

Make Wales the Green Battery of Europe




Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds has urged the Welsh and UK Governments to work together to turn Wales into a “renewable powerhouse” that could help allies in Europe reduce their dependence on Russian oil and gas imports.

The Mid & West Wales Senedd Member describes the outcome of doing so as a “win-win” not only helping to reduce UK and EU dependence on Russian hydrocarbons but boosting Welsh jobs and helping save the environment and has called on projects under construction or in the planning phase to be fast tracked.

Wales currently exports over twice the amount of power it consumes and around 48% of electricity generation in Wales already comes from renewables. But with vast reserves of tidal power in the North and South of Wales, wind power in the West, the potential for Green Hydrogen facilities in former mining areas and hydropower potential throughout the country; Wales has some of the greatest potential for a green economy in all of Europe.

Commenting Jane Dodds said:

“Wales is fortunate enough that our location and our abundant climate-friendly natural resources mean that we are in a position not just to reach a fully renewable self-sufficiently in energy supply here in Wales, but also to actively contribute to helping our EU allies decarbonise.

“What we need to reach this though is the ambition. We need a full-scale green industrial revolution to maximise the energy we generate from wind, tidal and hydropower. This means going beyond the projects currently in the pipeline.

“To do this, we will need to see the Welsh and UK Governments work together with the private sector to bring in greater investment to the renewable sector in Wales. We should be investing in any project which offers a good chance of reducing domestic demand and expanding international supply

“Projects in the planning or proposal stages must be fast-tracked.

“The benefits of increasing our green energy production go beyond helping our allies reduce dependence on Putin. It would mean lower bills for Welsh consumers who are being hit by a cost-of-living crisis being caused by our dependence on fossil fuels. It would also mean thousands of new highly skilled jobs in future-proof industries.

“However, we need to ensure that the money generated from our vast natural resources is spent in Wales and benefits local communities. The production of wind turbines, hydrogen batteries and other renewable components should happen inside Wales.

“There is no good reason why Wales cannot be the Green Battery of Western Europe. The only thing that is holding us back is a lack of incentivisation for the private sector and a lack of interest from the UK Government in particular.”

 





Labels

Labels:
Location: Wales, UK

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ed Davey writes: I want to rebuild our party and take on the Tories

  we wrap up the Liberal Democrat leadership election, I wanted to thank the thousands of people who have taken part in hustings, sent in questions to the campaigns and engaged in this contest. It’s absolutely right that there is a robust process that properly tests our next leader, and makes sure that whoever wins on Thursday has been put through their paces by the party. Whatever happens later this week, I know that Liberal Democrats will come together and turn our hand to doing what we do best, getting out campaigning and standing up for communities up and down the country. If you haven’t returned your ballot yet then there is still time to vote for me so that we can rebuild our party on solid foundations, and campaign for a fairer, greener and more caring society. That’s my vision for the future of our party, and I know I’ve got the experience we need to deliver it.  With your support, I want to rebuild our party and take on the Tories, and put ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Jane Dodds - Aberpergwm Coal Mine Expansion Must be Stopped

  he Welsh Liberal Democrats have reiterated their opposition to the expansion of Aberpergwm Coal Mine in Neath Port Talbot Council. Addressing a protest in front of the Senedd Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds stated that if we are to stand any hope of tackling climate change before it’s too late, the coal must be left in the ground.   The protest in front of the Senedd in Cardiff saw multiple Welsh climate groups attend.   The expansion of Aberpergwm Coal Mine has been at the centre of a row between the UK and Welsh Governments, with the Welsh Government claiming it does not have the legal authority to block the mine’s expansion, while the UK Coal Authority has insisted that the Welsh Government could in fact stop the development.   The new license, which was approved by the Coal Authority in January will allow Aberpergwm Mine to extract another forty million tonnes of coal. The development could release up to 1.17 million tonnes of very strong g...
Post a Comment
Read more

New Zealand Trade Deal Will Damage Rural Communities

Responding to the news that the UK Government has concluded the signing of a trade deal with New Zealand, removing trade barriers between the two countries, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have said the deal will cause damage to rural communities and the Welsh agricultural industry. Commenting Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader and Senedd Member for Mid & West Wales Jane Dodds said: "The UK Government has negotiated a trade agreement that will actively damage Welsh farming communities and will bring next to no tangible benefits to our local economies.   "The Conservatives have proven that they are utterly unable to negotiate trade deals that boost the UK economy and unfortunately this agreement is no exception. The economic benefits are a drop in the ocean, and they will do nothing to mitigate the damage from the red tape and paperwork caused by Boris Johnson's shambolic EU trade deal. "Instead of delivering Global Britain, this Government is selling Welsh farmers...
Post a Comment
Read more