Water Energy Projects

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs – in the Senedd at 1:35 pm on 17 July 2019.

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Photo of Lesley Griffiths Lesley Griffiths Labour 1:35, 17 July 2019

Hydropower schemes can be very complex, and they need to be designed and managed very carefully to avoid unacceptable impacts on communities and river environment. There are implications for our rivers, and, in fact, I think, at the moment, you will see more barriers being taken out of rivers than dams being installed. Again, I will mention the Welsh Government energy service. We're very keen to ensure that we support a range of Wales-owned projects. Many of Wales's largest dam systems do utilise hydropower to harness the power of water. We've got Llyn Brianne, for instance, and also the Elan valley. Unfortunately, I think because of the geography of Wales, there are now very few remaining large-scale opportunities for hydropower to make a major contribution to our energy supply, but I'm certainly very keen to hear of any specific projects.