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.”
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