Share your story on locally owned renewable energy

In September 2017, the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths announced ambitious new targets for energy generation in Wales including:

• 1 gigawatt (GW) of renewable electricity capacity in Wales to be locally owned by 2030; and
• Renewable energy projects to have at least an element of local ownership by 2020.

The call for evidence, which will last 12 weeks, aims to gather evidence about how increasing local ownership of renewable energy generation can secure benefits for Wales and spread this in a more equitable way.

It will help identify the challenges developers, businesses, local authorities, communities and others will need to overcome to deliver more renewable generation in local and shared ownership.

Cabinet Secretary said:

“We are focusing on accelerating the transition of our energy system in Wales, particularly through the increased use of renewable energy.  Last September, I announced ambitious new targets to deliver a low carbon energy system including local ownership and we are already making good progress in meeting these.

“Two projects which have recently become operational help symbolise the change taking place.  Yesterday I visited Pen y Cymoedd windfarm, the largest onshore wind project in England and Wales.  Vattenfall has supported and created more than a thousand jobs in Wales and the project delivers £1.8m annually into a community benefit fund.

“At a much smaller, community scale, we have Awel Aman Tawe’s wind development.  It is wholly community owned, meaning all its profits are kept within the Amman Valley and their shareholders.

“However, Wales will need many more such projects at all scales and technologies, from community scale to major projects to meet our future energy needs.  

“We believe it is possible to design energy developments that local people can support and buy into.  The call for evidence I am launching today looks at how we can achieve this and deliver maximum benefits for the whole of Wales.  I urge communities, developers, partner organisations and anyone with an interest to get involved and share their views with us.”