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SPOTLIGHT ON WALES


WALES LOOKS TO REAP THE BENEFITS OF WIND POWER


FIRST MINISTER FOR WALES CARWYN JONES EXPLAINS HOW WALES IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS IN THE TRANSITION TO A LOW CARBON ECONOMY…


COMMITMENT


We are exceptionally lucky in Wales to have unbeatable natural resources and are committed to harnessing those resources in ways that create a more prosperous future for Wales.


ENERGY WALES DELIVERY PLAN In recent years we have made an enormous amount of progress in securing investment in low carbon energy, driving real benefits for Welsh businesses and communities. In March I published the first Energy Wales Delivery Plan, which describes what steps we will be taking towards our ambition to drive the change to a sustainable, low carbon economy for Wales.


£5.5 BILLION ECONOMY


More than 40,000 people in Wales work in our low carbon energy and environment sector, contributing over £5.5 billion to the economy annually. The wind sector in particular is growing fast with our wind capacity set to massively increase over the next few years as the next generation wind farms – currently planned and under construction – come on stream.


REAPING THE REWARDS


Whilst the environmental benefits of wind farms are clear, I’m committed to ensuring local businesses and communities also reap the rewards, as I know developers are in Wales. As a result the Wales Economic and Community Benefit Register were recently launched in partnership between Welsh Government and onshore wind developers.


The Register shows how local communities are benefiting from developments and importantly also shows how Welsh businesses are securing opportunities through the supply chains of developments.


WORKING TOGETHER


The Register will help encourage Welsh businesses to develop their skills to help them win substantial contracts. It will also support communities to work together with developers to shape community benefit packages that can deliver long- term and sustainable outcomes for local communities.


The Register was developed following last year’s Declaration on Community Benefits from Onshore Wind, which was signed by onshore wind farm developers and operators in Wales.


DEVELOPER OPPORTUNITY For the Developers this is a great opportunity to showcase how they are working with local businesses and communities. Many developers have already included details of the economic and community benefits of their projects on the Register. As more projects are included in future years, the Register will become a valuable resource to show the beneficial impact wind developments can have.


My ambition for the Onshore Wind Register is that the benefits to communities are clear and that communities play an integral part in shaping these benefits. Similarly, a sustainable low carbon economy must have Welsh businesses at the heart of local supply chains.


FEATURE SPONSOR


ACTION PLAN


Developers and the Welsh Government are also working together with leading businesses and public partners to develop an Action Plan to support wind developments in Mid Wales.


Planning decisions for a number of onshore wind projects and the infrastructure needed to enable their development will be reached in the coming months. The decisions for the larger schemes will be made by the UK Government, but we are ensuring that if consent is granted, the public and private sectors in Wales have in place a package of measures to respond positively.


By working together in this way, we are showing how Wales is open for business for the renewables industry and ensuring the role of Welsh businesses as leading supply chain partners.


BETTER UNDERSTANDING


This closer working relationship has already led to a better understanding of supply chain opportunities for Welsh business.


One example of this is Vattenfall’s Pen y Cymoedd onshore wind development, which this year announced in excess of £100m of Welsh contracts. The project will also deliver a 25 year community benefit package, worth around £1.8m a year and the creation of a £350,000 mountain bike trail which will help boost tourism in the area.


KEY ROLE


As we continue to develop a sustainable, low carbon economy for Wales, renewable energy has a key role to play in our current and future energy generation mix. I believe it is vital to ensure that the industry is working closely with Welsh communities and local businesses, in a consistent and transparent way.


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www.windenergynetwork.co.uk


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