A Plaid Cymru government would set a target of producing the equivalent of 100% of its electricity consumption from renewable energy by 2035. That was the message from Plaid Cymru’s Shadow Energy Minister Llyr Gruffydd yesterday as he outlined his party’s vision for a fairer energy future for Wales.
Llyr Gruffydd explained that Wales is rich in natural resources, but a focus is needed to ensure that it meets its full potential. He said that the devolution of all energy powers to Wales is key to realise this aim.
The Party of Wales Shadow Energy Minister Llyr Gruffydd said:
“Wales punches well above its weight when it comes to producing electricity. We produce nearly twice as much as we use and produce far more per head than does England. Yet we end up paying more for our electricity than other parts of Britain and have sky-high levels of fuel poverty.
“It’s clear that we need to rebalance the scales so that the people of Wales are better able to benefit from the energy we produce. Our natural resources are highly valuable, and if we can harness these renewable sources properly then we could become self-sufficient in renewable electricity which would help deliver environmental and economic gains to the people of Wales.
“At present, Wales produces more electricity than we use but only 7.9% of this is from renewable sources. We want to address this. A Plaid Cymru government would set a target equivalent to 100% of Wales’ current electricity consumption being sourced from renewables by 2035. But we would also work to reduce energy use too.
“For a nation of three million people with a wealth of valuable natural resources such as Wales, this is a realistic goal.
“Plaid Cymru is ambitious for Wales, and we are committed to building a clean, green and sustainable future for our nation.”
