PLAID CYMRU have called for full devolution of Wales’ natural resources. The Party has called for responsibility over energy and the Crown Estate to be taken away from Westminster and devolved to the National Assembly so that the Welsh Government could use Wales’ resources in the interests of the people of Wales.
Plaid Shadow Energy Minister, Llyr Gruffydd said: “Wales is an energy rich nation. We already generate almost twice as much electricity as we use while other parts of the UK depend on imports and yet we pay more in Wales than any other nation in the UK. It cannot be right that while wages are lower in Wales than the rest of the UK, we are forbidden from benefiting from our resources which could drastically lower the cost of living. “While the UK Government has agreed to allow the Scottish Government to have full control over its resources, Wales’ resources are still under the full control of the UK Government, for whom the people of Wales did not vote. This is not power for the sake of power.
Over a thousand people died in Wales last winter primarily as a result of high energy costs. We cannot continue to allow this to happen.” Plaid go on to say that they have committed to setting up a publiclyowned energy company, similar to EDF in France and Vattenfall in Sweden, if it forms the Welsh Government in 2016, which could use profits to subsidise bills for consumers in Wales.
Agreeing with Plaid Cymru’s stance, Pippa Bartolotti, Wales Green Party leader said of the issue: “It is essential that Wales has complete ownership of its vast renewable energy supplies. Energy security, the elimination of fuel poverty, and a future based on the sound economic footing renewables will give us, should be reasons enough for us to hold sovereignty over our own clean energy.
Scotland now produces more electricity from renewables than any other source of energy, and is on target to produce 100% of all electricity from renewables by 2020. It is an outrage that Wales cannot perform on the same footing. “Greens want to see everyone in Wales benefiting from this cheaper, cleaner form of energy, and we would want to see many more local and community energy schemes.
We would like to see people everywhere freed from the shackles of the big dirty energy producers and their relentless price hikes”. She went on to criticise the socalled, UK austerity programme, saying: “Austerity is hurting our most vulnerable people most, and it is unforgivable that high fuel costs continue to force so many into poverty. Yet it need not be this way. Renewable energy is cheaper than dirty fossil energy.
The Welsh Government should make the harvesting of our own energy for home security and export a top priority.” A spokesperson for the Welsh Government told The Herald: “We have consistently called for the further devolution of energy powers to Wales. We are also acutely aware of the impact rising energy costs are having on households and businesses in Wales and have provided support to help reduce the ever-increasing costs of energy consumption.”
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