Energy
Published: 22 Sep 2021
The greenest and most affordable way for the UK to power itself is through renewable energy. We also need a big push on reducing the energy we use, it is, after all, the simplest and cheapest thing we can do but which often gets forgotten about.
Renewable energy is now much cheaper, faster to build, and cleaner than nuclear power, which is why Friends of the Earth opposes the development of new nuclear power stations.
The last few years have really seen a shift in where we get our electricity from. In 2020, the UK sourced more electricity from renewables than from fossil fuels.
And in Wales, 51% of Wales’ electricity consumption came from renewable sources in 2019.
However, electricity and heat generation still accounted for 19% of Welsh emissions in 2019 making it the second largest emitting sector (page 56).
What are we calling for?
The Welsh Government should aim to use no more fossil fuels, and for 100% of Wales’s electricity demand to be met by renewable energy generated in Wales by 2035.
It should use the Future Wales: the National plan 2040 to make Wales as attractive as Scotland for new-build renewable energy and storage, and lobby to ensure barriers are removed
Wales’s renewable energy industrial strategy should capitalise on the expertise of universities and on the dynamism of start-ups. Strong political commitment will ensure it succeeds.