Issue - meetings

Report by Henry Aron, Energy Programme Manager and Rhys Horan, Welsh Government Energy Service.

1.  To endorse the draft North Wales Energy Strategy and confirm the Board’s support for the commencement of preparatory work on the action plan.

2.  To agree to receive a further report on the draft action plan.

The report was submitted by Henry Aron (Energy Programme Manager) and Rhys Horan (Welsh Government Energy Service).

RESOLVED

(1)     To endorse the draft North Wales Energy Strategy in draft form and confirm the support of the Board for the commencement of preparatory work on the action plan.

(2)     To agree to receive a further report on the draft action plan.

REASONS FOR THE DECISION

The current strategy provides a high-level vision, priority areas, energy modelling and economic analysis which shall inform the development of the proposed action plan.

DISCUSSION

The report was submitted, which presented the North Wales Energy Strategy in draft form for endorsement, to garner support for the proposed next steps, and to show that the Strategy was in alignment with the regional commitment to the climate change challenge.

Details were provided about the background and relevant considerations and the consultations held.

During the discussion, the following matters were raised:-

·         It was noted that the NWEAB's Low Carbon Energy Programme Board was a part of this, and that all partners had contributed to the journey to date.

·         The importance of ensuring that this did not detract from the work of the NWEAB was stressed, due to the need to deliver on the Growth Deal projects.

·         In response to a question, it was explained that £15bn of expenditure that was needed to deliver the energy vision was a combination of private and public sector investment. It was unclear as yet what the split would be, but it also included expenditure from individuals, e.g. on electric vehicles, heat pumps, etc.

·         The document was welcomed, and it was noted that it set out clearly some of the current issues, and the options for the future also. 

·         The reference to the contribution that the tidal lagoon could make was welcomed, and it was asked whether consideration had been given to broader advantages than those of energy generation alone. In response, it was explained that full consideration of all the advantages was not outlined in the snapshot given, but the economic advantages, in terms of job creation etc., had been identified and shared. In going forward, this would be important, but the detail was not yet available.