Plaid Cymru AM and sustainability spokesperson, Leanne Wood, has called on the ‘ConDem’ government to commit to investing in alternative technologies in order to harness the tidal energy of the River Severn.
The Plaid AM said that Plaid Cymru did not support the Severn Barrage proposal and instead favoured smaller, more economical and less damaging projects. Ms Wood said that the UK government should look urgently at investing in these technologies to ensure that the vast potential for renewable energy from the Severn is harnessed.
Plaid Cymru AM and sustainability spokesperson Leanne Wood said:
“The River Severn has huge potential in terms of renewable energy generation. It is essential that this is harnessed in order to reap both the environmental and economic benefits. Our natural resources are an asset that we should be investing in and the energy potential of the Severn is a good example of this. While Plaid Cymru has always voiced concern about the planned Barrage because of the irreversible damage that it would have caused to the biodiversity of the Severn, we have long advocated investment in other technologies to make the most of the river’s potential.
“Plaid Cymru believes that the energy potential of the Severn should be harnessed through the development of smaller projects. These would also stimulate the green economy through the creation of jobs in the construction stages and in maintenance. Such projects could include tidal lagoons, tidal reefs, free standing water turbines and the smaller, less damaging shoots barrage. If they are serious about tackling climate change and reducing our dependency on fossil fuels then the ConDem government should be investing in these technologies and the jobs that they will help to create as a matter of urgency.”
