With up to 76 onshore windfarms in the planning, Wales has the potential to meet up to 18% of its electricity demand from renewables and will play a vital role in achieving the UK target of 10% electricity from renewables by 2010, Malcolm Wicks said this week.
Speaking in Cardiff at the latest in a series of Energy Review consultation meetings, the energy minister said: “Wales faces the same problems as the rest of the country. The need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, tackle declining domestic energy supplies against increasing world demand and secure a diverse energy mix for the future.
“The Energy Review seeks to answer some of those problems, but that needs input from all of us. Renewables is one aspect, but there is no single solution, the fact is we need to decide now on where Wales will get its future energy supply.
“One thing is clear. Doing nothing is not an option. There are some tough decisions ahead, some big challenges, but no one solution. How the people and businesses of Wales see their energy future is a vital part of that solution.”
Current renewable generation in Wales meets around 3.6% of all electricity consumed producing around 450GWh.
The prime minister has asked Wicks to lead a review of long-term energy policy. He was visiting Cardiff as part of a three-month public consultation period about how the country should meet its energy challenges.
The average Welsh resident consumes around 64kWh less energy than the average UK resident, but Wales' CO2 emissions are slightly higher than those of the rest of the UK.
A consultation document is published at www.dti.gov.uk/energy/review. Anyone wishing to make a contribution to the review can do so on-line or in writing to Energy Review Team, DTI, 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET