, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Renewable energy generation in Wales - evidence session 4
Okay. Thank you for the honesty on that. Jon, do you have anything to add on that?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Renewable energy generation in Wales - evidence session 4
That's fine; we can move on. Does the Welsh Government have a coherent strategy for body swerving the restrictions of the National Grid whilst the UK Government catches up, or whilst the joining up of all the dots catches up so that we do have a coherent…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Renewable energy generation in Wales - evidence session 4
The public has moved on on this, but I'm not sure that the UK Government has. Amidst the perfect storm that we now face, to what extent would Jon and Tom be able to advise us as to whether the UK Government, which control the National Grid and Ofgem, have…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Renewable energy generation in Wales - evidence session 4
Okay. I share Llyr's frustration on this. Just tell us about any large-scale project that's actually been prepared to share the benefits with local communities by offering them reduced price energy. That is what is going to be far more effective getting…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Renewable energy generation in Wales - evidence session 3
Okay.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Renewable energy generation in Wales - evidence session 3
Okay, but do you think there would be further benefits if the Crown Estate was devolved? You'd then become an agent of Government in same the way that NRW is, and therefore that information could actively be worked on to work out the most sustainable and…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Renewable energy generation in Wales - evidence session 3
Okay. Obviously, I'm trying to explore what difference would it make if the Crown Estate was devolved to Wales in the same way as it is in Scotland, because then there might be statutory bodies sharing information for regulatory purposes. The other aspect I…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Renewable energy generation in Wales - evidence session 3
Okay. So, it's not a particularly close relationship at the moment. Clearly, you're talking to them, I understand that. But given the complexities of data gathering in the seas—much more difficult than on land—there isn't that sort of data-sharing…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Renewable energy generation in Wales - evidence session 3
Thanks very much. I just wanted to explore your co-operative relationship with NRW, which you mention in your written paper. Particularly, for example, you mentioned earlier that you have data-sharing arrangements with commercial companies, and obviously you…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Renewable energy generation in Wales - evidence session 2
Okay. That's particularly important. If you can write to us with it, that would be great.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Renewable energy generation in Wales - evidence session 2
Okay. So, on your map, you talk about fossil gas sites. How much is gas replacing the coal as opposed to renewables?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Renewable energy generation in Wales - evidence session 2
Okay. Mr Halladay, in your submission, you talk about a change of policy as of September 2020. The restrictions that were previously on new thermal plants and battery storage have been lifted, and since then we've had over 200 MW of potential battery storage…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Renewable energy generation in Wales - evidence session 2
My question's in the context of gas prices going through the roof and a climate emergency. That's what I'm struggling to understand.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Renewable energy generation in Wales - evidence session 2
So, you're saying that they're wrong in thinking that you still turn projects down because there's not sufficient evidence of demand. I understand they have to get planning permission and sort out—
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Renewable energy generation in Wales - evidence session 2
So, they're wrong in thinking that Ofgem still turns down things because there isn't sufficient evidence of who the buyers of the energy are going to be.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Renewable energy generation in Wales - evidence session 2
Okay, so how are we going to get around this problem? If the UK Government has still not grasped the extent of the crisis we face, how else can we approach this? Because our earlier witnesses in the earlier panel this morning said that National Grid was still…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Renewable energy generation in Wales - evidence session 2
Okay. Well, moving on—thank you for that. Obviously, we could talk a lot more about that, but moving on, starting with Ofgem, the Welsh Government's hoping that Ofgem will create a Wales energy systems architect. Is this something that you're going to be able…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Renewable energy generation in Wales - evidence session 2
Electric vehicle charging systems, that's one of the obvious things that could be done by local community generation. Is that something that you're supporting?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Renewable energy generation in Wales - evidence session 2
Okay. So, how far have you got to date?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Renewable energy generation in Wales - evidence session 2
Thanks very much. So, this joined-up strategic plan, is that what you're going to get out of the evolving the network grids for Net Zero Wales project?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Renewable energy generation in Wales - evidence session 1
Okay. Can I just simply throw in to Rhys: how do you think the Wales energy system architect is going to resolve some of the issues we've just been hearing about?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Renewable energy generation in Wales - evidence session 1
Rhys wants to come in. Is that—?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Renewable energy generation in Wales - evidence session 1
Okay. The Welsh Government has talked a lot about the importance of community-owned renewable energy, but there hasn't actually been an awful lot of progress, so I just wondered—. And some of the other things that Rob was talking about, about enabling people…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Renewable energy generation in Wales - evidence session 1
Okay. So, there are very clear constraints, and, by talking to Ofgem, hopefully the Welsh Government will be able to smooth some of them out. But how clearly do you think the Welsh Government fully understands these constraints on the grid? And what is the…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Renewable energy generation in Wales - evidence session 1
Huw.
