Project duration: December 2018 – February 2019
We have written a report for the Institute of Welsh Affairs (IWA) producing recommendations for the protection, promotion and upscaling of community and local ownership of renewable energy in Wales. The report is part of the IWA’s Re-energising Wales project, a three-year project to deliver a roadmap for how Wales can meet its projected energy demand from 100% renewable sources by 2035, building on the Welsh Government’s renewable energy targets set in September 2017:
- to generate 70% of its electricity consumption from renewable energy by 2030
- for 1 GW of renewable electricity generation to be locally owned by 2030
- for all renewable energy projects to have an element of local ownership by 2020.
The focus of our report was onshore renewable generation capacity, how community ownership of renewable energy has been achieved at scale elsewhere and Welsh factors that could be used to encourage more community and local ownership of renewable energy schemes, maximising its social and economic value for Wales. We conducted desk-based research and a series of interviews with key stakeholders, as well as drawing on Regen’s expertise in innovative local energy models. Our recommendations followed four themes:
- Shared ownership
- Establishing a local energy company for Wales
- Planning and land access
- Access to the grid
Read the full report here.
“The IWA has worked with Regen on two occasions. On both occasions, the staff at Regen have been passionate and a pleasure to work with. In the most recent commission, we asked Regen to deliver a complex piece of work in a very short space of time and they delivered efficiently and effectively. Regen staff are proactive and they go above and beyond to make sure that the work produced is the best it can be. Regen’s experience and specialist knowledge in the energy sector is exceptional.”
Shea Buckland-Jones, Re-Energising Wales Project Coordinator
Read Shea’s blog on the report’s recommendations here.
