Publicly owned energy company needed to deliver Swansea Bay Lagoon says Plaid Plaid Cymru AM
Dai Lloyd has called on the Welsh Government to establish a publicly owned energy company to deliver the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon.
The Swansea-based AM questioned the First Minister on the issue today at the Senedd.
Dr. Lloyd stated that if the Welsh Government was serious about delivering the Swansea Bay Lagoon then it would ‘grab the bull by the horns’ by establishing a National Energy Company for Wales.
Dr. Lloyd stated that he was disappointed with regards to public statements by Swansea Council Leader Rob Stewart over recent weeks where he states that the development of the tidal lagoon needs to be led by the private sector.
Dr. Lloyd stated:
“Plaid Cymru has a long-standing proposal for establishing a publicly owned energy company, Ynni Cymru. This could see profits from Welsh resources used to cut the cost of energy for Welsh consumers and shift to decentralised and distributed networks.
“There is no doubt that Wales has the potential to become self-sufficient in electricity from renewables and powering ahead with world-leading tidal energy technology. Managing our own natural resources would reap vast environmental and economic benefits for the people of Wales.
“Ever since the UK Government decided to once again neglect Wales’ economic needs by refusing to back this Lagoon scheme, I have felt that the Welsh Government needs to show how committed it is to delivering this scheme.
“By setting up a publicly owned Welsh energy company, the Labour Welsh Government could bring this project alive themselves.”
The Labour party’s 2017 Welsh manifesto commits to supporting “the creation of publicly owned, locally accountable energy companies and co-operatives to rival existing private energy suppliers, with at least one in every region”.
Dr. Lloyd added:
"What is stopping the Labour Party from implementing this manifesto pledge and ensure that Wales invests in renewable energy including the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon?”
