4. Statement by the Minister for Climate Change: Energy Policy

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:22 pm on 8 November 2022.

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Photo of Janet Finch-Saunders Janet Finch-Saunders Conservative 3:22, 8 November 2022

Thank you for your statement, Minister. I would like to refer to the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee's report on renewable energy in Wales, published in May 2022, and its comments on the serious risk of your Government failing to meet its own renewable energy targets. The committee stressed how barriers to renewable energy development were not new, nor was the Welsh Government's promise of action to address them. The report further stated how the Welsh Government was making the same promises now as it did back in 2012's energy strategy.

After a decade of these repeated promises, we now need concrete steps towards improvement. You may claim that the UK Government is not clear and consistent, but I can confirm that you have also been consistent in failing to deliver the changes we need to ensure that Wales has a renewable energy revolution. So, will you explain what actions you're taking to remove barriers to renewable energy in Wales? I strongly believe that nuclear power is absolutely vital to meeting our climate change commitments, and I endorse and support the comments by the fantastic Member of Parliament for Ynys Môn in the work that she has done trying to bring nuclear to Ynys Môn. 

At a time of great international uncertainty in the energy market, made worse by Putin's appalling war against Ukraine, it's vital that we do not close off avenues to generating clean, home-grown, reliable power. Therefore, I welcome the UK Government's commitment to nuclear energy throughout the Nuclear Energy (Financing) Act 2022, and I would urge the Welsh Government to commit here today to supporting the Wylfa and Trawsfynydd sites. For my constituents in Aberconwy—[Interruption.] Do you want to intervene?