1. What measures are in place to promote small-scale renewable energy generation in Wales? OQ56225

Thank you. Welsh Government has set a positive policy framework to encourage small-scale renewable energy generation. The energy plans we are developing identify our future power, heat and transport needs. The Welsh Government energy service provides support to communities and the public sector to deliver new renewable generation to meet those needs.

Thank you for that answer, Minister. This is an area, I think, that has cross-party support and is also very popular with community groups. Small-scale hydro and solar, in particular, are popular, and evermore viable with better storage through improved batteries. I just wonder if, therefore, for our targets of 2030, we should be even more ambitious in setting that proportion of energy we wish to see generated by small-scale schemes.

Thank you. I absolutely agree about the enthusiasm of communities when they have a small-scale renewable energy scheme in their area. Certainly, one of my happiest days in this portfolio was when I opened a very small hydro scheme up in Corwen, in north Wales, where a lady told me very proudly that every time she switched her kettle on, she knew she was contributing, from the scheme that had been set up with her assistance. Again, around hydro schemes particularly, I think we've seen certainly farmers looking to have one on their land. And, again, up in north-west Wales, there was a very good one—unfortunately, because the UK Government then took away the feed-in tariff, when he wanted to have another one, he didn't feel it was worth while. So, I think we need to continue to press the UK Government to bring in feed-in tariffs too. When I set the targets around renewable energy—the different targets by 2030—I thought they were very ambitious. But we have made some really significant progress this term, and it might be worth revisiting to see if we could more ambitious.