First Minister Eluned Morgan has said the people of Powys will need to “make a contribution” to Wales’ renewable energy future, as she defended onshore wind developments against criticism from Brecon and Radnorshire MS James Evans. In the Senedd yesterday, Mr Evans called on the Welsh Government to prohibit onshore wind developments in Wales. But Ms Morgan said the country has to make the most of its resources and reduce its dependence on imported energy. Video from Senedd.tv
00:00And it's that leadership we see from those children that we need to see across the whole of our communities.
00:05And all our questions are for James Evans.
00:07Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's renewable energy policy?
00:13The war in Ukraine made our energy prices shoot up, and they're still incredibly high, causing a huge amount of suffering across Wales.
00:21Now, to avoid this from being our fate in future, it's essential for us to improve our energy security and reduce our dependence on imported energy.
00:33Now, with our abundance of natural resources, we're in an ideal position in Wales to ramp up our renewable energy contribution,
00:40at the same time address the climate change challenges.
00:44So our policy is to scale up renewable energy projects in Wales, including both offshore and onshore,
00:52creating valuable jobs and bringing investment to our communities.
00:56First Minister, you mentioned there about onshore wind developments, and communities across mid-Wales feel utterly ignored,
01:03as our beautiful countryside is being targeted by speculative and often opaque wind farm developers,
01:09many of them, driven by profit, are not any genuine commitment to sustainability or community development.
01:16These massive projects threaten up jobs, tourism, and the very character of the landscape across mid-Wales.
01:24They do not support environmental benefits or sustainability,
01:27because if you actually take into the consideration the transport costs, the impact of construction,
01:33and the wider grid infrastructure connections,
01:35they're actually not as environmentally friendly as wind farms let on that they are.
01:39So it's clear, isn't it, First Minister, that these onshore developments are going to damage rural Wales.
01:45So isn't it right now that the Welsh Government puts a line under this and bans onshore wind development across Wales
01:51in the interests of all those communities who are going to be affected by these proposals?
01:57Well, thanks very much.
01:59So let me just make it clear that our Labour Government thinks that climate change is real,
02:06and it's a serious issue that needs to be addressed.
02:10And what we need to do is to make sure that we play our part in addressing that climate issue.
02:16Now, what we also know is that by 2050, we expect to see a three-fold increase in the amount of electricity used in Wales.
02:25How do you propose that we can fix that unless we have continued dependence on people from other countries?
02:35You've seen the prices that people are paying today in Wales as a result of our over-dependence on imported energy.
02:46Can I just finish?
02:48Job creation is key in this sector.
02:51And on the weekend, we heard that 15,000 jobs are going to be created as a result of renewable energy.
03:00That is not something I'm going to apologise for.
03:02It is something I'm going to triumph.
03:04It is something that I'm going to be proud of.
03:07And I'm going to make sure that the people in Powys have the opportunities to get involved in developing those wind farms,
03:14in making sure they have the green skills available to them, and to make sure that we deliver for the people of Wales.
03:22Because in future, the people of Powys will also need to make a contribution,
03:28as the people of the valleys have done for over a century when the coal was there.
03:34Thank you, First Minister.
03:37So the next item will be the business statement and announcement, and I call on the Trevny.
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