The following amendments have been selected: amendment 1 in the name of Neil McEvoy, amendments 2 and 3 in the name of Darren Millar, and amendments 4 and 5 in the name of Rhun ap Iorwerth.

The next item is item 9, the debate on how we achieve a low-carbon energy system for Wales. I call on the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths. 

Motion NDM6866 Julie James

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes the 2017 Energy Generation in Wales Report, published on 13 November 2018.

2. Notes that, in order to deliver the 80 per cent carbon emissions reduction target in the Environment (Wales) Act 2016, there is an urgent need to decarbonise the energy system in Wales by:

a) taking forward regional, whole energy system planning to support a low carbon economy;

b) recognising the potential for a range of energy generation technologies, and the need for smart solutions to balance energy generation with demand;

c) accelerating deployment of low carbon energy development, where it provides benefit to Wales, recognising the current difficult investment climate; and

d) further developing the grid in Wales as part of place based plans.

Motion moved.

Diolch, Llywydd. I'm pleased to bring this debate to Plenary to explore the future role Wales should play in the UK and global energy system, stimulating a discussion regarding the future of energy in Wales. This is a challenging time given the uncertainties of energy in a post-Brexit world. What is certain is the need to decarbonise. In Wales, the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 is our legislative vehicle acting on climate change. Next month, I will ask the Assembly to approve our interim emissions targets to 2050 and our first two carbon budgets. In March next year, we will be publishing our first low-carbon delivery plan for Wales.

I'm working across Government with my Cabinet colleagues through the decarbonisation ministerial task and finish group to deliver decarbonisation across all our portfolios. It's clear every one of us has to take action on climate change now and I call on the Assembly to support our efforts to decrease carbon emissions. This also delivers on the priorities I set out in my energy statement in September 2016.

My first priority is to use energy more efficiently in Wales. Improving the energy efficiency of the homes of low-income households is the most effective way in which we can tackle fuel poverty, whilst also reducing harmful emissions into the environment. We are investing £104 million in Welsh Government Warm Homes for the period of 2017 to 2021. This will enable us to improve a further 25,000 homes. Our Welsh Government energy service has invested over £55 million of zero-interest loans across the public sector in Wales over the last three years, supporting the ambition for a carbon-neutral public sector. We also need to ensure new buildings don't add to the retrofit challenge. We're currently scoping out the topics that will be in the review of building regulations and expect to go to public consultation in the spring.

The Deputy Presiding Officer took the Chair.

My second priority is reducing our reliance on energy generated from fossil fuels. Last month, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a hard-hitting report on the impacts of global warming. To limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, the IPCC recommends scaling up renewable generation rapidly to provide around 85 per cent of the world's electricity by 2050. The report suggests a renewables-led system, supported by nuclear and fossil fuels with carbon capture and storage. Carbon capture and storage would allow gas to generate around 8 per cent of electricity worldwide to provide a flexible base load and ensure that supplies are secure.

This means that we have to change our energy system. We're not going to create the scale of the change we need without difficult decisions that impact on communities in Wales. Last year, I set stretching but realistic renewable targets. These will help us decarbonise our energy system, reduce long-term costs and deliver greater benefits to Wales. We're already making good progress towards these targets. I just published an updated 'Energy Generation in Wales' report with figures to the end of 2017. The report shows that electricity equivalent to 48 per cent of Wales's consumption was generated from renewable energy; 529 MW of our installed renewable electricity capacity was locally owned, meaning the profits from this generation stayed in Wales. This represents good progress against our targets of 70 per cent of electricity consumption from renewables and 1 GW of locally owned generation by 2030.

New generation must deliver sufficient benefit to justify Wales hosting it, and this ties in to my third priority: to drive the energy transition to deliver maximum benefits for Wales. I expect all new renewable energy projects in Wales to include at least an element of local ownership, to retain wealth and provide real benefit to communities. Our response to the call for evidence on local ownership will be published in the next few weeks. We will be taking action to increase retention of benefit in Wales. I hope when people have more ownership of generation, the dialogue around renewable energy will change from, 'Do we want this?' to 'What do we need and where shall we put it?'

We also have a window of opportunity now to develop and grow our own innovative marine energy industry, which could help others across the globe to reduce fossil fuels. Marine energy represents a major export opportunity. We've invested in marine technologies, and the UK Government must provide supportive financial regimes for these emerging technologies that cannot yet compete on price alone with established technologies. The offshore wind sector is an example of early-stage UK funding during development, leading to cost-effective and sustainable energy generation. I hope we can find new sites off Wales's coast for offshore to contribute to our targets.

This example should now be followed for the marine sector. The UK missed the opportunity to be a global leader in offshore wind. We cannot afford for the same to happen to our marine wave and tidal industry. However much renewable energy generation we produce, we must also remove fossil fuel generation from the energy system to bring emissions down. The new energy generation report also shows Wales generated more than twice the electricity it consumed last year. Between 1990 and 2016, our emissions from the power sector increased by 44 per cent, whilst overall UK emissions from the sector reduced by 60 per cent. We host 19 per cent of the UK's gas-fired electricity generation, a key factor in this increase. We need to think about whether we are content to host new gas generation in Wales and, if so, how we can ensure it is compatible with carbon capture and storage. I'm keen to hear Members' views on whether Wales should only generate electricity for our own needs, or whether we should continue to be a net exporter.

As part of our work to reduce emissions, Welsh Government has made clear our opposition to fracking. I'm determined to use every possible lever to ensure fracking does not take place in Wales. This includes a strong opposition to issuing new petroleum licences or consents for fracking and the introduction of a much more robust planning policy. The recent consultation on petroleum extraction set out our preferred position. I will confirm our policy position and respond to the consultation before the end of the year.

We also need to consider the role of nuclear. If UK Government does consent to new nuclear in Wales, it will be the largest single investment in Wales in a generation, and our priority is to achieve a positive and lasting legacy for north Wales. We must also ensure we protect the local communities and environment.

In addition to current electricity use, we need to consider the impact of decarbonising transport and heat. Currently, there are around 2.5 million ultra-low emissions vehicles bought annually in the UK. There could be as many as 11 million electric vehicles by 2030. Charging an electric vehicle at home would almost double the electricity consumption of that home. Significant investment in renewables and infrastructure will be needed to serve this increasing demand, and we need clarity on what infrastructure is needed and where it should be.

As agreed with Plaid Cymru, I have committed funding to an energy atlas, and we recently agreed our approach on this, to offer support for regional and local energy planning. This will help ensure we maximise the value of energy opportunities within the city and growth deals throughout Wales. This delivers on my third priority of driving the energy transition to deliver maximum benefits for Wales. Regional whole-energy system planning will help us understand where we need more low-carbon generation and where our energy infrastructure requires investment. We are working with network providers on this, as, where they are sure new grid is needed, they can build this into their investment plans. Putting Wales at the forefront of the evolving energy frontier, we are creating demonstrators to encourage academics and businesses to develop new technology systems and processes. We are leveraging funding from the EU and other sources to help deliver our vision of a smart, low-carbon energy system.

The Sustainable Product Engineering Centre for Innovative Functional Industrial Coatings is changing the way we deliver buildings. They've developed several energy-positive buildings, including the active classroom at Swansea bay campus and the SOLCER house at Stormy Down. We're also supporting the Swansea University-led proposal to establish an active buildings centre in Wales. This will be an industry-led centre to speed up the roll-out of active buildings. The Welsh Government's innovative housing programme provides another opportunity to develop proofs-of-concept buildings. By doing this at scale, we tackle the uncertainties about whether efficient homes will be more expensive to build. Innovative technologies require new business models and changes in regulation. They also change the way we live and work in buildings. New models are coming forward, exploring new approaches to energy efficiency, generation, use and storage. All these initiatives help us capture Welsh value from the transition to a low-carbon energy system.

I have no illusions regarding the size of the challenge that decarbonisation presents, nor the uncertainties around how we might get there. There is no one single solution or technology that will guarantee delivery of our carbon targets. Given the size of the challenge, we will need to explore all avenues. Wales has an internationally admired suite of innovative research and development programmes to help us do it. So, I very much look forward to hearing all Members' views around the direction for a prosperous and low-carbon Wales.

Thank you. I have selected the five amendments to the motion, and I call on Neil McEvoy to move amendment 1, tabled in his name—Neil McEvoy.

Amendment 1—Neil McEvoy

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Welsh Government to oppose the use of nuclear power as a means to achieve a low carbon energy system.

Amendment 1 moved.

Diolch, Dirprwy Llywydd. On 24 October, I was the only Assembly Member who voted to oppose nuclear power in Wales. I found that quite incredible given how much opposition there is to nuclear power from the public and supposedly from other politicians. If he were here, I would say to the alleged anti-nuclear Labour leadership candidate, the AM for Cardiff West, who voted to dump nuclear mud in Wales and who did not oppose nuclear power last time, 'Here is an opportunity to reject nuclear energy and put it on the record.' The same goes for the Labour AM for Cardiff Central, who also is not here. She claims to be an environmentalist and anti-nuclear, but said the waters just outside Cardiff were the go-to sites to dump mud dredged from outside Hinkley Point nuclear power station. I find that astonishing. The Labour AM for Cardiff Central also failed to oppose nuclear power last time. Well, the AM is not bound by the whip this time, so maybe—maybe—she may vote against nuclear energy.

A justification for some in not opposing nuclear power is that energy here is not devolved—it's not devolved to this Assembly. Well, just because a matter is not devolved, that does not mean that we should not have a position on it. Far from it, far from it. We debate Brexit, yet have no power here to deal with the dog's dinner of it made by the Conservatives. We're not just here to sit back and let the Conservative Government in England dump whatever they want on us. If we want to get some respect, we have to kick up a fuss and say 'no', in the national interest of Wales. So, that's why, today, we've got a new amendment that I've introduced, this time calling on the Welsh Government to oppose the use of nuclear power as a means to achieve a low-carbon energy system. Nuclear power is not low-carbon. It is not sustainable. There is a much higher carbon cost than for renewables. Nuclear power plants will generate as much carbon as gas-powered stations in the future. I think that's worth saying because I don't think many people realise that nuclear power stations will generate as much carbon as gas-powered stations in the future. That's because the grade of uranium is decreasing.

We're a country blessed with natural resources: water, wind, tides and even a bit of sun, sometimes. Why not use those natural resources and not import uranium, producing nuclear waste and taking huge risks with the future of Wales and the health of our people? Research by the federal Government of Germany shows that there are increased cancer rates around nuclear power stations, and that's one of the reasons why they're being phased out in Germany.

Now, if this Labour Government in Wales is serious about achieving a low-carbon energy system, then we must oppose nuclear energy and send a clear message to the Conservatives in England to keep their reactors out of our country. Support the amendment and oppose nuclear in Wales. Diolch.

Thank you. Can I call on Andrew R.T. Davies to move amendments 2 and 3, tabled in the name of Darren Millar?

Amendment 2—Darren Millar

Add as new point at end of motion:

Recognises the importance of Wylfa Newydd to the delivery of a sustainable long-term energy mix in Wales and endorses the First Minister’s comments regarding the transformative potential of this major energy infrastructure development to the North Wales economy.

Amendment 3—Darren Millar

Add as new point at end of motion:

Recognises the importance of securing community support when planning large-scale renewable energy projects and regrets the Cabinet Secretary’s intervention regarding the Hendy Wind Farm development, which does not respect this important principle, and calls on the Welsh Government to reconsider this decision.

Amendments 2 and 3 moved.

Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. It is my pleasure to move the two amendments in the name of Darren Millar this afternoon. Just talking about the generalities of the debate, it is good that we do debate these issues. One thing that Wales has is an abundance of natural resources that if harnessed correctly, could help the energy footprint, not just of Wales, but of the rest of the United Kingdom. I did note that the Cabinet Secretary said that is a question we should pose to ourselves: should we be exporting our energies or should we be generating enough for Wales as a country? I would argue that we are well placed to help the rest of the United Kingdom meet its energy requirements. Indeed, it is very desirable for us to do that, with the host of energy generation that we could put to best use.

Talking to the two amendments, if I may, obviously the Wylfa Newydd proposal up in Anglesey is an exciting and dynamic proposal that has been on the stocks for many years now, and thankfully seems to be coming into fruition and the endgame. I do hope very much that the political groups here today will support the amendment that is before the Assembly, because it offers an exciting opportunity: an opportunity that the First Minister himself has said is transformational, not just for the north Wales economy, but for the economy of Wales as a whole, when we're talking of between 8,000 and 10,000 jobs at peak production of construction, with 850 permanent—well-paid jobs, I might add—being located in a location that has a historical perspective of hosting a nuclear plant, prior to the new one being established. I'll take the Member's intervention.

Thank you very much for taking an intervention. We won't be supporting the amendment, as it happens, although it's well known that I work very positively with the developers at Wylfa. There are a few things with this amendment that I would say are not consistent with certainly what I feel. Long term, I don't think nuclear is the answer; we've got to be clear on that. We've got to be clear about how transformational it is in the long term for the economy of Wales, as important as it is for my constituency. And also, when it comes to talk of an energy mix for Wales, Wylfa is part of an energy mix for the UK, not for Wales, in reality.

I find that remarkable, that intervention from the Member for Anglesey. I recognise the work that he has done as an individual, but it clearly shows that he has failed to win the argument within his political group, and therefore I fail to see how, when the reference in the amendment is quite clear to Wylfa Newydd specifically and doesn't widen any broader than that, he, certainly, as an individual, cannot support it, leave alone the rest of the Plaid Cymru group. I had assumed that the Plaid Cymru group were supportive of Wylfa Newydd, whilst they had a discussion and a debate around the wider issues of nuclear production and nuclear energy. Obviously, people will see the way the group votes today and know which side their bread is buttered on.

On amendment 3, I think this is a really important issue that was driven home to me by the residents around the Hendy windfarm development, which the Minister obviously chose to intervene on and actually gave permission to this particular development. The Minister did touch on communities being able to have a say and a stake in renewable projects and I do think that that's really, really important, but when residents of a locality find that they've engaged in the democratic process, i.e. the planning system and they've gone through the local authority and had an inspector look at the proposals as well, and on each and every occasion the inspector and the planning authority have said that this application is not suitable to be developed in this particular location, that really does undermine residents' faith in the process. And this amendment is put down tonight in the hope that Members in this Chamber will galvanise support to encourage the Minister to reflect on the decisions she has taken.

Only this morning some pictures were coming out from the location, showing that heavy plant was moving onto the site in defiance, I would suggest, of the planning authority's permissions to date along common ground. I would urge the Cabinet Secretary, if our amendment is defeated tonight, to make enquiries to satisfy herself that there is no work going on on the site at the moment, because it is causing a huge amount of concern. But obviously, I very much hope that our amendment will pass this evening, because it really does warrant a reconsideration on behalf of the Minister.

There is an exciting and dynamic agenda when it comes to renewables, but riding rough shod over local residents' confidence in the principle of having a fair hearing, putting their case and having that case heard and supported, and then undermining those cases, really does no service at all to the renewables sector. I do believe that the Minister does need to answer that in her summing up this afternoon, and I hope that she will do that. 

If I could galvanise the rest of the debate that we want to put forward from this side: we do believe passionately that Wales is well placed to play its part in lowering carbon emissions across the United Kingdom. We do have a natural abundance of opportunities to develop renewable energy here. Two areas that do need considerable consideration, though, I would suggest, and Government influence, are grid connections in particular, because there are many small renewable projects that could get off the ground if only they could get a grid connection and they could, in themselves, play a huge part in collectively coming together to raise our numbers in this particular field. And, I do believe that whilst it's not a devolved responsibility, if the Cabinet Secretary engaged with Ofgem to encourage them to be more proactive here in Wales, because they are the regulator and when it comes to combined heat and plant units being established, which the report touches on, there is a huge issue around the backlog of renewable heat incentive applications that really is deterring investment in that particular sector. Again, I do believe that that's an area that needs addressing, and hopefully Government intervention, to support the sector to make sure that people have the confidence to make those significant investments.

But I do hope that our two amendments carry tonight. The one in particular around Wylfa Newydd, which looks to invest in a community that is desperate for that investment to create quality jobs with decent, well-paid salaries, and the second amendment that we've tabled around the Hendy windfarm: it does require a second look, Minister. I do hope that you will give us the confidence—. I can see you shaking your head and saying that you will not be doing it. That is highly regrettable, and people will lack the confidence going forward that Ministers are adhering to the rules.

Can I call on Llyr Gruffydd to move amendments 4 and 5, tabled in the name of Rhun ap Iorwerth?

Amendment 4—Rhun ap Iorwerth

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls for the full devolution of all powers over energy to Wales.

Amendment 5—Rhun ap Iorwerth

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls for the establishment of Ynni Cymru to accelerate the development of renewable energy in Wales with a strong focus on community energy and public ownership.

Amendments 4 and 5 moved.

Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'm pleased that the motion and the Cabinet Secretary referred to the 'Energy Generation in Wales 2017' report, because that tells us a great deal of the story: namely, that 48 per cent of the electricity that we use in Wales comes from renewable energy, and that's increased by 5 per cent. That's positive, of course. What's less positive is that only 751 MW of capacity of installed renewable energy is actually locally owned by the community. Clearly that's an area where some work needs to be done, because not only are we eager to see the development of renewable energy, but we also want to ensure that the ownership of that energy is in the right hands. Sixty-three thousand renewable energy projects are under local ownership in one sense, but 94 per cent of those are solar PV schemes on domestic roofs. That's positive, of course, but it does show how much work remains to be done.

As we've already heard, we do have the natural resources, we have the natural capital in Wales, to be a world leader in terms of renewable energy. The question therefore is: why aren't we leading the world? What's holding us back? I would argue that both amendments that we've put forward this afternoon try to highlight those issues. In the first place we need the powers to achieve that potential and to deliver it. Secondly, we need the political will, but also the means to deliver that potential, too. We're calling for full devolution of all energy powers. Nobody would be surprised about that, I'm sure, but it is striking that the Westminster agenda in energy is moving in one direction and the political will here in Wales is going in a very different direction. We've already heard reference to fracking, which is one clear example of that.

The absence of those powers holds us back. Look at the Swansea bay tidal lagoon: if the responsibility for energy had been devolved, I have no doubt that it would happen. It would either have happened already or it would be being constructed as we speak. So, if we are serious about achieving much of our potential, then we do have to take ownership of the powers in order to deliver that ourselves.

The Institute of Welsh Affairs in its Re-energising Wales project has demonstrated that greater ambition and immediate practical action are required to realise the vision for 100 per cent renewable energy, and these actions include upscaling energy efficiency. Of course, you will remember our manifesto pledge for a multibillion pound retrofitting scheme here in Wales. It also mentions how building regulations could significantly increase energy efficiency. You've referred to that, but of course Plaid Cymru was the only party in this Assembly that wasn't happy with the very modest improvement in the Part L regulations that this Government brought forward a few years ago, and now of course we're playing catch-up. Onshore windfarms, offshore windfarms and futureproofing electricity grids—it's all there in the Re-energising Wales work. And of course it isn't just the environmental focus, the economic one is clear as well, because those kinds of investments, according to the Institute of Welsh Affairs, could support some 20,000 jobs annually across Wales during a 15-year investment period, with nearly £7.5 billion in total Welsh GVA created as a result.

You mentioned—well, I mentioned Ynni Cymru. You mentioned the energy atlas, and I'll come to that in a minute. Ynni Cymru, of course, is I believe one way of developing that stronger focus on community-orientated energy development. I've said it before and I'm going to say it again, because every time I get up in these kinds of debates I'll be saying it: we need to move away from the hub-and-spoke model of energy generation to a more dispersed spider web, where energy is used as well as produced locally. That will give us the resilience, and it's happening in Germany, in the Netherlands, in Denmark and other countries and we need to move in that direction as well. I welcome the energy atlas. I think it will help us with mapping out and modelling the potential of renewable energy resources throughout Wales. That investment will enable strategic energy planning that will as well facilitate a bottom-up approach to energy in the longer term.

I'm running out of time, so I will address the amendments very quickly.

Just to respond—well, I did respond to the first amendment about a fortnight ago, and I don't see that anything's changed since that point, so I will leave that there.

In terms of the second amendment, on Wylfa, well, the last thing we want is that nuclear should be part of the long-term energy mix. The whole purpose is that we move away from the hub-and-spoke model, as I said earlier, and not shackle another generation to that model. So, clearly, we're going to oppose that amendment. 

And on the third amendment, well, it's only right, of course, that local voices should be heard in any discussions around planning decisions, be it energy or anything else. And it's also right, of course, that having balanced the different factors and the different considerations, that the Cabinet Secretary should make a final decision on issues that have greater significance than simply the local—that is, they have national significance. So, we will also be opposing that amendment. 

We do have the natural resources here in Wales, we have the natural capital, so let's use it in a way that brings benefits to our people and, most importantly, brings benefits for future generations. 

I just want to speak very briefly in respect of the amendment that has been tabled by the Welsh Conservatives in respect of the Hendy windfarm. The Cabinet Secretary will be aware that she made a very similar decision to this earlier this year in respect of a windfarm application in my own constituency, in the Denbigh moors area, the Pant y Maen windfarm, which was subject to a planning application that was submitted to Denbighshire County Council. That application was refused, an appeal was made to the Welsh Government, and the inspectorate then produced a report that recommended refusal—very strongly recommended refusal. Other Welsh Government-sponsored bodies, including Cadw, also objected to the development on the basis that it would impact on the view from nearby Bronze Age barrows and burial mounds, and that it would have a devastating impact on the landscape of the nearby Clwydian range area of outstanding natural beauty as well. And yet, for some reason, the Welsh Government—or the Welsh Minister—decided that her view was different to that of the inspector, different to that of the local authority and, unfortunately, this windfarm is now going to be developed.

I appreciate the point that Llyr Gruffydd made about the need for a national strategy perspective from the Welsh Government from time to time on issues that are significant, but this is a very small windfarm that is being developed, just seven turbines—just seven individual turbines. It's not huge at all. You could hardly say that seven turbines individually are of strategic importance nationally in the same way that Wylfa Newydd or a much more sizeable offshore windfarm, like the Gwynt y Môr windfarm, might be. So I am concerned that this is riding roughshod, frankly, over local democracy.

I think that the people in the area of the Hendy windfarm are facing now precisely the same sort of scenario. I don't think that it's appropriate and I think we need a planning system that is much more balanced and much more reflective of local people's views. So I would urge the Welsh Government to look again at the Hendy windfarm decision. We've already had one wrong, what we don't want are two, three, four, five or many others in the future. Let's get this right, let's sort the balance in the system out, so that we can have some confidence in it going forward. [Interruption.] I'll take the intervention. 

Can I agree with the comments—

I'll decide whether you take an intervention. Russell George. 

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. 

Can I agree with the view that it's riding roughshod over the local community? This doesn't do anything for local democracy, when the Minister rides roughshod over the views of the local authority and the inspector as well. But could I specifically ask, when the Minister does respond to this particular amendment, that she also addresses the concerns about works being undertaken today that haven't yet had the proper permissions? And perhaps that needs to be reflected in the Minister's comments on this issue as well. 

I think it is incumbent upon the Minister to try to consider whether those works that are proceeding have the relevant permissions. Clearly, if they haven't, then they should cease forthwith. And I think that we have a Cabinet Secretary who has listened on many occasions to arguments that have been made by the Welsh Conservatives and taken forward decisions on the basis of the discussions that she's had with us, and I do hope that we are knocking on an open door today in respect of this decision too.

The Cabinet Secretary will know very well that I oppose the whole thrust of the Government's energy policy as an exercise in futility, because even if she were to succeed in all her objectives, what we gain in Wales is massively swamped by what's happening in the rest of the world. Meanwhile, the price of this policy is being paid for by the electricity consumers and taxpayers in Wales, and we've just heard of the effects that will be felt in the countryside of these windfarms—these excrescences that are being dotted around all over the hills of Wales. I drove down from Aberdyfi through mid Wales at the weekend and almost everywhere on the skyline you see these eyesores.

In addition to the points, which I totally agree with, that have been raised already by Andrew R.T. Davies and Darren Millar, I would like to ask why it is that the Hendy windfarm has been treated in a different way from that at Rhoscrowther in Pembrokeshire, where the same planning considerations arose. That was only five turbines; Hendy is seven. Rhoscrowther was turned down on the basis of its visual impact and the effect on the landscape. At Llandegley Rocks near the Hendy windfarm, you've got unspoilt landscape, scheduled ancient monuments, internationally important palaeontology of the Llandegley Rocks, it's the source of the River Edw, there's a huge starling roost there—2,000 to 3,000 starlings, a conservation species—which the developers plan to fell, and there are listed buildings very close to the site.

I agree entirely with the point that Darren Millar made that the effect upon the landscape—and let's not forget that one of the principal assets for mid Wales is its tourist potential—is wholly disproportionate to the gain in terms of the Government's energy policy. It's a relatively small project, and looking at this in a global context, it is totally insignificant. And I can't understand, therefore, why the Cabinet Secretary has decided to allow this to go ahead, when it can be of no gain practically to anybody other than the developers themselves, and I don't think that that is a sensible basis upon which Governments should take these decisions.

But I want to address now the wider considerations that the Government's energy policy brings up. Now, it would disappoint the Cabinet Secretary if I didn't mention China in this speech. As she constantly points out to me, this is something that I always raise and she's absolutely right, because I want to make this point again: China has 993 GW of capacity for generating electricity, and they have currently under construction another 259 GW of coal-fired power stations, principally. That's a 25 per cent increase on their current capacity; that is six times the entire generating capacity of the United Kingdom. If we close down the entire United Kingdom economy, of course we would cut our carbon emissions to a very small percentage, but China would, in the course of however long these new power stations take to build—five to 10 years—have made up for that reduction by six times. So, anything that we do in Wales that is responsible for only a minute fraction of 1 per cent of global emissions will be completely irrelevant in the debate on global warming. 

I'd like to read from a BBC article on its website only in September:

'Building work has restarted at hundreds of Chinese coal-fired power stations, according to an analysis of satellite imagery...259 gigawatts of new capacity are under development'.

So, this is something that has achieved considerable publicity, and I think it wholly undermines the whole argument for renewables at vast subsidies that are paid for by ordinary people, and Wales is the poorest part of the United Kingdom. There are 291,000 households in fuel poverty—the Government's own figures—that's 23 per cent of the households in Wales. People can't afford to pay these increases. The Office for Budget Responsibility last spring revealed in its economic and fiscal outlook that environmental levies this year will cost, throughout the United Kingdom, £11.3 billion. That's a rise of £2 billion over the last financial year. It goes on to say that the increase of £2 billion represents a rise in average electricity bills of about 5 per cent, so that's twice the rate of inflation. This is planned to go on and on and on each year for the foreseeable future until in 2030 it's estimated that at least a third of all electricity bills will be accounted for by environmental levies. So, the Government's policy is an exercise in futility, and the people who are really paying the price are those at the bottom of the income scale, whom I would have thought the Labour Party would have had an interest in helping rather than making their lives more difficult. 

I welcome the Welsh Government’s 'Energy Generation in Wales 2017' report. The report highlights the mountain we have to climb if we are to reduce Wales’s emissions by at least 80 per cent over the next 30 years. It is essential for our future survival that we meet these targets. As set out in the Paris agreement, reducing emissions was vital if we were to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees compared with pre-industrial levels, with an upper limit of 2 degrees. However, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported last month that we would meet the 1.5 degree threshold in the next 10 years.

Unless we take drastic, immediate action, the world is heading for a 3 to 4 degree rise in global temperatures. Not a single member of the G20 is taking sufficient action to tackle global warming. And this is not helped by those who still believe climate change is a myth. At the weekend, the leader of the world’s largest economy, America, still clung to his woefully mistaken belief that the concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make US manufacturing non-competitive. This in spite of massive loss of life to climate-related events in the past 12 months. Unless we take drastic, immediate action, deadly forest fires, catastrophic hurricanes and devastating floods will be the least of our problems. Even with a 2 degree rise in global temperatures, we will see entire countries disappear below the rising ocean, a 50 per cent increase in wildfires across Europe and millions of people displaced. We have to act now and we have to act fast.

As the 'Energy Generation in Wales' report highlights, 78 per cent of Welsh energy production comes from fossil fuels. If our planet is to survive relatively unscathed, then we need to reduce that to zero over the coming decades.

We need a true mix of renewables—solar panels and tidal power, but the answer doesn't lie in large-scale wind or solar farms. We need to move to a decentralised energy grid where every home, every village, every town and city produces its own energy.

Technology will be the key to averting a global catastrophe. Already we are seeing our homes become more energy efficient, light-emitting diode lighting uses 100 times less energy. Our appliances are now achieving power efficiency rates of 95 per cent. New homes are so well insulated they rarely need heating.

However, transport remains our biggest challenge. We need to move to all electric and hydrogen-fuelled vehicles a lot sooner that the UK Government’s target of 2050. Because of Wales’s geography, public transport will never replace all demand for personal transport. We therefore have to ensure that we replace the car, the lorry and the van with clean alternatives. But that is going to require significant investment in infrastructure, investment that we must make and must make now if we are to stand any chance of surviving our changing climate. Diolch yn fawr.

Thank you. Can I now call the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs to reply to the debate? Lesley Griffiths. 

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I'd like to thank Members for their contributions. I think it's very clear that we do need to reconsider Wales's historic role in supporting the wider UK energy system. I mentioned in my opening remarks the recent low-carbon delivery plan consultation, and that really made clear that we do need to fundamentally change our approach to power, heat and transport in order that we meet our decarbonisation objectives, in ways that achieve benefits for the people of Wales. And I don't doubt that this will need very difficult decisions, and I think it needs not just national leadership, but also local leadership too. 

We've got to take some bold decisions around building efficiency and futureproofing our building stock, and we also need to help businesses take a longer term investment approach to energy efficiency projects. And I think we also need to help them recognise that decarbonisation also provides opportunities and our economic action plan prioritises the decarbonisation call to action and the regional approach to its delivery, which will really fit well with our regional energy planning work.

On generation, our currently reliant on gas I really think puts us at a risk of missing our carbon target. I mentioned that we currently host 19 per cent of the UK’s gas-fired electricity generation but use only 5 per cent. So, given our responsibility for carbon, I believe that Wales should have complete control over the consenting and deployment of energy in Wales, as we called for in the negotiations for the Wales Act in 2017.

The marine sector is working really hard to persuade the UK Government that it’s worth backing and has a strong fit with their industrial strategy. I’m absolutely committed to working with partners to develop lagoon technologies in Wales and to also consider the case for supporting a new private sector-led project.

Overall, the future of our thriving renewable energy industry must be secured if we are to meet our renewable target. So, I do continue to lobby the UK Government to increase levels of investment in renewables. I’ve raised concerns about the exclusion of onshore wind, of which Members will be aware, which is the lowest cost form of generation, and also solar technologies from contracts for difference, the proposed closure of the feed-in tariff and the lack of funding to support wave and tidal technologies. I really do think that the UK Government must take some swift decisions regarding future support for small-scale renewables.

I believe that achieving 100 per cent of renewable energy generation would be extremely challenging. I think it would risk us, if we were relying on our neighbours, being able to keep the lights on in Wales. I’m sure that Members here would share my concerns about putting Wales in that position.

We will need significant investment in energy generation and networks in order to deliver our carbon targets in Wales. However, I think by doing it smarter, we can avoid unnecessary expense. Robust development plans can provide a basis for investment by grid operators to support clear future need. We’re also working to support energy planning to ensure appropriate developments are supported in national, regional and local plans.

If I can just turn to the amendments. We will be opposing amendment 1 brought forward by Neil McEvoy. As we’ve made very clear, nuclear is absolutely part of the energy mix. We will be accepting amendment 2 in the name of the Welsh Conservatives. We’ve invested significant time and resource into a comprehensive programme of support to maximise the potential lasting legacy from Wylfa Newydd. We will be opposing amendment 3. Members should be aware that Welsh Government can’t reconsider the decisions. I can pass no further comment. We’ve provided consistent support to communities as a vital part of energy development in Wales and anyone who wishes to question the decision on Hendy windfarm and the reasoning behind it, and the decision letter is there for people to see, can do it through the court.

The two amendments from Plaid Cymru—we will be opposing both. I mentioned that we've consistently fought for full powers over energy developments in Wales. However, we are part of a joined-up UK and global energy system and I think we have to recognise the way the system is funded and regulated.

In relation to amendment 5, you’ll be aware that, in discussions with Plaid Cymru, I did look at establishing an energy company for Wales. We had that recent call for evidence, which I’m sure Members are aware of, and we didn’t feel there was sufficient clarity on the purpose of what that energy company would do. But I’m very happy—I'm aware that Llyr is now taking this forward along with the energy atlas. I’d be very happy to have future discussions about it, if you can bring forward more clarity on how, really, it would benefit the investment that would be required to bring it forward.

I'd like to thank everybody—

Would the Cabinet Secretary give way?

Yes.

Thank you. Would the Cabinet Secretary possibly have discussions with the Scottish Government colleagues? They have recently produced quite an extensive report on the idea of a national energy company for Scotland, which could indeed be a model for us in Wales.

Yes, I have actually seen the report, Adam Price, but, yes, of course, I'd be very happy to have that discussion with colleagues in Scotland. But as I say, when we looked at it initially—I think it was about a year ago, but maybe a little bit more—we just thought that the significant investment that was needed couldn't be justified. But I'm very happy to continue to have those discussions. I will of course ask officials to look into the accusations, by, I think it was, two or three Welsh Conservative Members, that work's currently under way at Hendy. That's not my understanding, but of course I will ask officials to look into that for me, and just thank Members for their interest in energy and their contributions today. Diolch.

Thank you. The proposal is to agree amendment 1. Does any Member object? [Objection.] Therefore, we defer voting on this item until voting time. 

Voting deferred until voting time.