Statement

Wales was the first Parliament to declare a climate emergency and has also declared a nature emergency. Moving away from fossil fuels as fast as possible and driving the sustainable, nature positive management of natural resources are the twin challenges of our time. 

Wales has committed to be globally responsible by hosting enough renewables to at least meet its own electricity needs by 2035. Welsh Government has for a decade highlighted the need for more electricity infrastructure in Wales to support this ambition. This is based on the needs of people in Wales, who have contacted their elected representatives on topics including the unreliability of the power supply in rural areas and in larger towns and cities, as well as consistent feedback from the energy sector about unavailability or long lead times of new grid connections, that leave their projects looking unattainable. The need for businesses to expand and have larger demand connections as they move away from fossil fuels to electricity is well evidenced. 

Currently proposals for new grid are driven by single companies or individuals. When the grid is as heavily constrained as it is in Wales, new proposals frequently trigger the need for substantial upgrades that are potentially unaffordable for any individual or organisation, leaving projects at a standstill. This approach is piecemeal and is unlikely to come up with the most effective solution to future grid needs, which should be designed to use the least possible amount of infrastructure. We need a planned approach that can minimise any perceived negative environmental, social and economic impacts of new infrastructure as far as possible, whilst allowing people and nature in Wales to prosper for the long term.

In 2023 Welsh Government published a study that provided the evidence base for future need for electricity, and therefore for new networks. The Future Energy Grids for Wales reports were clear on the need to invest in both transmission and distribution networks. Our work on local, regional and national energy planning is designed to provide much more clarity on exactly where and when these new networks will be needed. 

The need for new investment and a plan is now recognised at UK level, with the Energy System Operator charged with developing a Spatial Strategic Energy Plan and a resulting strategic network plan. 

Wales is an important part of the energy system in Great Britain. To date we have been a net exporter of energy, largely because of the fossil fuel generators sited in Wales. Electricity flows between Ireland and England across Wales and we also host a major site for natural gas to enter Great Britain. 

The need for an independent group 

Our principal lever for managing new energy infrastructure is through our devolved powers under Planning Policy.  

Welsh Government have committed to working with representatives of all sectors and regions of Wales to develop a set of principles for grid development. These will be founded on the framework of the Well-being of Future Generations Act. They will consider community requirements, environmental impact, visual impact, cost and technical constraints. Our intent is to consider the proposed principles for incorporation into Planning Policy Wales. 

Proposals for new electricity lines would need to meet these principles if they are to be supported by the Welsh Government. 

The independent advisory group on future electricity grid for Wales is formed to take forward the essential work to build an understanding of the possible approaches to delivering electricity grid infrastructure. 

The group will help Ministers build an understanding of the impacts and costs of the various options, taking the full extent of those impacts into account and building that deeper understanding of the possible approaches to delivering the necessary infrastructure expansion. The group will create a public evidence base and devise a set of principles to support development of the most appropriate solutions for Wales. 

Through this approach, Welsh Government will champion Wales having the infrastructure it needs for the future, delivered in the right place, in a way that manages costs and impacts in Wales, while making sure Wales can continue to flourish in the long term.