A Plaid Cymru government will deliver 100% of Wales’ electricity from renewables, the party’s Shadow Energy Minister Llyr Gruffydd has announced.
He said that the Party of Wales will publish a route map towards generating 100% of Wales’ electricity needs from renewables by 2035 within 100 days of a Plaid Cymru government.
The party’s Shadow Energy Minister, Llyr Gruffydd AM, made the announcement while on a visit to Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon which will be the first energy generating project of its kind if it goes ahead.
Llyr Gruffydd highlighted that Wales is already a net exporter of electricity but only 10% is sourced from renewables. He pledged to increase that to 100% by 2035 and to publish a comprehensive route map outlining how it will be achieved.
As part of the plan, Llyr Gruffydd said that the party will outline targets for each individual sector, measures to encourage community ownership and, in order to reduce consumption, the biggest nation-wide energy efficiency programme Wales has ever seen.
The Party of Wales’ Shadow Energy Minister, Llyr Gruffydd AM, said: “Wales is an energy rich nation. We generate almost twice the electricity we use but too much of that currently relies on burning fossil fuels. We are well placed to take advantage of the global shift towards renewables and enjoy the economic benefits that comes with it – but at the moment we are not realising our potential.
“Within the first 100 days of a Plaid Cymru government, I will publish a route map towards generating 100% of our electricity needs from renewable sources, detailing how and when each sector will contribute towards this target.
“Achieving self-sufficiency will require more than just increased renewable capacity however. It will also depend on a concerted effort to reduce energy consumption. As part of this effort, we will roll out the most wide-reaching, comprehensive retrofitting programme Wales has ever seen. This will create jobs, boost the economy, and it will mean cheaper heating bills and lower carbon emissions.
“Plaid Cymru’s programme will also include updating building regulations to ensure better efficiency. We’ll lead by example by doing more to ensure public buildings help with generating and saving energy too.
“The Tidal Lagoon proposals, in Swansea Bay and elsewhere in Wales are innovative and potentially transformatory for the Welsh energy sector and for the Welsh economy. We must ensure we extract as much benefit as possible from these projects, making sure local communities benefit from them and that the rest of the country is better off as a result.”