RenewableUK Cymru has welcomed the new Infrastructure (Wales) bill, which aims to streamline the planning and consenting process for major infrastructure projects, including permission to build renewable energy developments.
The bill is intended to bring together and simplify a multitude of planning processes that companies are required to follow.
Speaking from RenewableUK’s Global Offshore Wind 2023 event, RenewableUK Cymru Director, Jess Hooper, said:
“The planning system for renewable energy developments, such as onshore and offshore wind farms, can be a long and drawn out process. The hope is the new Infrastructure bill will tackle this and support the industry in achieving net zero, while also making the regime a lot more transparent for all stakeholders to engage with. We welcome this as a positive step to support community engagement and understanding of renewable energy projects.
The challenge now is how we move forward and ensure that the regulatory authorities in Wales are sufficiently resourced and skilled in order to deliver on the ambition of this new bill. We face a skills gap across the sector, so recruitment and training is a challenge, and we look forward to working closely with the appropriate teams within the Welsh Government to help address this.”
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For further information, please contact:
- Abi Beck, Communications Manager 07947 765978 [email protected]
Notes:
- RenewableUK’s members are building our future energy system, powered by clean electricity. We bring them together to deliver that future faster; a future which is better for industry, billpayers, and the environment. We support over 470 member companies to ensure increasing amounts of renewable electricity are deployed across the UK and to access export markets all over the world. Our members are business leaders, technology innovators, and expert thinkers from right across industry.
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