Cabinet Secretary for
Economy, Energy and Planning: Today, I have published
the Energy Use in
Wales (Third Edition) report, the latest update in
our series of Energy Use in Wales reports. The report provides
the most up-to-date reflection of our energy use, which we use to
measure progress in Wales toward shaping and achieving our
targets.
The report has shown positive trends in Wales. In 2022, Welsh
energy consumption totalled 86 TWh, of which approximately 14 TWh
(16%) was electricity. The total renewable electricity generation
in Wales during the same year reached nearly 8 TWh, equivalent to
59% of Wales' total electricity consumption. This means Wales is
just 11 percentage points away from its target to generate 70% of
its annual electricity consumption from renewable sources by
2030.
In Wales, we are committed to doing all that we can to reach our
renewable energy targets including our vision to meet the
equivalent of 100% of our electricity needs from renewable
sources by 2035 and for at least 1.5 GW of renewable energy
capacity to be locally owned by 2035.
We are in the midst of a climate change emergency and the signs
are clear that unless we take urgent action, we will do
irreparable harm to our planet.
It is now more important than ever that we seize the chance to
remove our reliance on fossil fuels and Welsh Government are
committed to meeting this challenge while promoting the growth in
the green economy. The evidence is clear, we
must make sure that we take this opportunity to
create a sustainable future for this and future generations,
whilst balancing the needs of our communities.
