The Wales Millennium Centre was the scene for a well attended launch of the Cross Party group on Energy which was hosted by Assembly Member Angela Burns and attended by both Edwina Hart, Minister for Business, Enterprise, Technology & Science and John Griffiths, Minister for Environment & Sustainable Development.
Angela Burns AM, who is chairman for the group said, “I have wanted to set up an Energy group for some time and I am delighted that William Powell, Dafydd Elis-Thomas and David Rees have agreed to co-sponsor the group. It is extremely important that Welsh Assembly Members, Energy Suppliers and other Agencies can focus on issues that concern the Welsh Energy Sector and be able to deliver a collective message to relevant bodies.
The amount of employment and business associated with the energy industry within Wales runs into the billions and this new group will enable both established energy producers and the newer renewable sector to put forward their plans for the future, to engage with the National Assembly and to help inform the debate about the future of energy in Wales and by extension the UK.”
Pembrokeshire based energy supplier, Dragon LNG supported the forum by sponsoring the event. Speaking at the launch, Mr Colin Orr Burns, General Manager of Dragon LNG said, “Affordable, sustainable, low-carbon energy has to be at the forefront of all our thoughts. These are all hugely important topics, and the National Assembly for Wales has many very important decisions ahead of it.
I believe that informed and educated debate is the best way of reaching optimum decisions and the National Assembly of Wales is to be praised for recognising this and for taking active steps to inform the debate and key decision-makers. We represent a wide range of energy producers big and small, fossil and renewable, conventional and new, as well as distributors. The intention is not here to lobby for any one particular point of view or industry, but to inform. I hope that, through future sessions on specific topics, we can help contribute to the debate.”
