MS, Cabinet Secretary for
Economy, Energy and Planning: Today I have published
the Report and recommendations
of the Independent Advisory Group on Future Electricity Grid for
Wales.
The Welsh Government has committed to setting out clear
expectations for the electricity network, based on strong
evidence that reflects the future needs of Wales's economy,
environment and communities. We convened the Independent Advisory
Group to build an understanding of the possible approaches to
delivering electricity grid infrastructure and provide us with
their recommendations about how the new networks we know we need
in Wales should be delivered.
Members of the Independent Advisory Group were invited either due
to their specific knowledge and expertise; or they were nominated
by key expert stakeholder organisations. The independent members
have contributed their knowledge on electricity networks,
environmental impacts, socio-economic impacts, community
interests, and the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act
2015 to group discussions.
The group represented a wide range of views and experiences, and
I greatly value the commitment of members to work through all of
the diverse viewpoints to reach their conclusions. I would like
to thank the Chair and all members for their time and attention
to detail, and their constructive approach to the complex issues
surrounding electricity networks.
This is an important first step in the work needed to support
Wales having the network capacity we need to thrive in the
21st century. I will now take the opportunity to
consider the report and recommendations in detail.
