Ramblers’ Association Wales Renewable Energy Policy (05/2005)

Policy Statement

• We are supportive of the government’s intention to encourage a substantial increase in Wales’ renewable energy capacity as part of a wider programme of actions to reduce energy consumption and substantially increase energy conservation. Our support does require that proposed developments be set within a strategic plan subject to regular review which indicates how much energy should be generated from each source of renewable energy, and within which areas, bearing in mind both constraints and opportunities. The strategic plan should be compatible with other Welsh Assembly Government policies on the environment, landscape and tourism.

• If Wales is to increase its output of electricity to the UK gridthis should be based more on offshore technologies, tidal, wave and wind, rather than through onshore developments. Such off-shore proposals should be subject to Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA).

• In conjunction with their existing planning guidance on renewable energy, the Welsh Assembly Government should set criteria within the context of revised and up-dated renewable energy targets for 2010 which recognise the greater contribution which marine technologies are now acknowledged to play, particularly through the development of offshore wind, and to a lesser extent tidal power [see Appendix A]. In this context, the UK and its component Governments should seek to transfer the balance away from onshore wind – the cheapest but most environmentally destructive technology – by recognising that the cost of encouraging more acceptable technologies would be more than justified by the rewards in terms of environmental and public acceptability.

• Energy generation should be located as near as possible to areas of demand, reducing the need for new transmission infrastructure over vast distances. The upgrading of existing transmission lines and the construction of new lines should be kept to the absolute minimum, with any essential increase in long distance transmission to be based on underwater power cables.

• In remote areas of Wales more incentives should be provided to enable communities to become self sufficient in energy use. Policy and financial incentives should be adjusted so that much more priority is given to small scale developments close to local communities and farms.

• In order to reduce energy demand local planning authorities should, through the development control process, require all developers of all new buildings to install solar heating panels and increased levels of insulation along with other energy saving measures. Guidance to this effect must be issued by the Welsh Assembly Government.

• The Welsh Assembly Government should establish a national forum to discuss the development of renewable energy with representation of the full range of environmental interests present alongside other stakeholders, including local community interests.

• The UK Government should carry out a fundamental review of the planning and financial arrangements that underpin renewable energy developments, especially the financial incentives associated with windfarm and wind turbine developments. The outcome should be a decrease in the support given to large scale windfarm development and an increase in the support for small scale wind turbine developments and alternative renewable technologies. This review should also examine the national grid requirements in the light of increasing opposition to land based large scale windfarm developments and increasing support for offshore developments.

• Legislation should be proposed for the next UK parliament that introduces new controls and incentives for renewable energy development which take better account of environmental and local amenity interests and the effective expenditure of public funds in support of renewable energy development.

Further Information

• Policy Summary
• Appendix A

May 2005