Renewable energy deep dive biannual recommendations update 2 - Strategy

Recommendation

Our Vision is for Wales to generate renewable energy to at least fully meet our energy needs and utilise surplus generation to tackle the nature and climate emergencies. We will accelerate actions to reduce energy demand and maximise local ownership retaining economic and social benefits in Wales.

Key highlights / milestones

In January 2023 we published a consultation reviewing our renewable energy targets. This provided a series of proposals for Welsh Government to set a target: 

• To meet the equivalent of 100% of our annual electricity consumption from renewable electricity by 2035, and continue to keep pace with consumption thereafter.
• for at least 1.5GW of renewable energy capacity to be locally owned by 2035, excluding heat pumps.
• for 5.5GW of renewable energy capacity to be provided by heat pumps by 2035, contingent on scaled up support from the UK Government and reductions in the cost of technology

Next steps towards completion

This recommendation is complete.

Given the implications our vision has for our consultation on Wales’ renewable energy targets, the forthcoming actions linked to this recommendation are:

• Analysing responses to the consultation, which closes 18 April, and making any adjustments to the targets as necessary;
• Publishing our updated renewable energy targets by Summer 2023.

Recommendation    

We will scale up local energy plans to create a national energy plan by 2024, mapping out future energy demand and supply for all parts of Wales to identify gaps to enable us to plan for a system that is flexible and smart - matching local renewable energy generation with energy demand.

Key highlights / milestones    

This recommendation is scheduled to be completed in 2024. LAEPs will form the foundation of the National Energy Plan (NEP). The NEP will also consider insights from the Future Energy Grids in Wales project, regional energy strategies, the emerging heat strategy and our energy targets.

Key LAEP highlights over this period include:

• Appointing suppliers to work with Cardiff Capital Region, Ambition North Wales and South-West Wales;
• Mobilising local authorities;
• Recruiting regional resource to support development of the LAEPs;
• Further meetings of the local authority forum;
• Further meetings of the National Advisory Group. 

Next steps towards completion

Our next steps over the coming 6 months include:

• Appointing suppliers to work with Cardiff Capital Region, Ambition North Wales and 
• Wider engagement with local stakeholders to inform the LAEPs;
• Monitoring of progress to ensure timely completion of the LAEPs;
• A technical review of emerging LAEPs to ensure consistency with approved methodology;
• Defining and developing the NEP

Recommendation    

Our Net Zero Wales public engagement and behaviour change plans will help citizens to take action to reduce demand, improve energy efficiency and use energy in a way which supports our vision.

Key highlights / milestones    

Over the last 6 months the focus has been towards laying the important foundations for the new national public engagement programme which is due to go live this Summer. The main pieces of work have included:

• Publishing a draft ‘Strategy for Public Engagement & Action on Climate Change’ for consultation between October-December 2022;

• Commissioning a panel of behavioural science experts to examine a range of social evidence using behavioural science techniques to identify the key barriers and motivations towards green travel, home energy, food and consumption behaviours;

• Building the foundations for the ‘Climate Action Wales’ national campaign and digital hub (website);

• Completing a review of our current approach to stakeholder and public engagement to ensure their involvement in the shaping of future policy solutions. The aim of this exercise is to consider opportunities for building on Wales Climate Week and conducting other year-round engagement with a particular focus on marginalised groups.
   

Next steps towards completion

The next steps towards completion will be as follows:

• Reviewing the responses to the consultation on the draft ‘Strategy for Public Engagement & Action on Climate Change’ with a view to refining and publishing the final Strategy in the Summer;

• Launching the new national Climate Action Wales campaign and digital hub (in the Summer to follow the publishing of the Strategy);

• Working collaboratively with the sector policy teams to build a prioritised timeline for the introduction of the required policies and programmes identified in Net Zero Wales to enable people to adopt greener home energy, transport, food and consumption choices (on-going);

• Introducing a new bi-annual national tracking survey with a Welsh focus to continue to build on our baseline understanding around people’s knowledge, awareness and attitudes on climate change (wave 1 survey anticipated to be undertaken in July);

• Considering the results of the review of our current engagement approach and the opportunity (and capacity) to deliver to a year-round programme of climate engagement events;
• Developing an evaluation framework to ensure the outcomes from this programme link to emissions reduction targets set out in our net zero pathways.to go live in 2023.

Recommendation    

We want to see an easy to access advice service set up to help people improve the energy efficiency and smart performance of their homes and businesses as well as a ready supply of trusted suppliers and installers of low carbon heating systems in Wales. We will scope additional actions as we develop our future Warm Homes Programme and Heat Strategy.

Key highlights / milestones  

Heat Strategy

• We have concluded our review of published evidence and our pre-consultation stakeholder engagement. It confirmed our need for trusted advice and suppliers as part of a wider package of policies to support the implementation of low carbon heating solutions.

•  

  Policy proposals have been developed in preparation for consultation and we have been assessing priorities, sequencing and reviewing inter-dependencies.

Warm Homes Programme

• We have finalised the Lessons Learned and Government response to the Warm Homes consultation documents, which will be published in spring, alongside a policy statement for the new programme.

•  

  We have generated evidence, supported by Building Research Establishment (BRE), to underpin the next Warm Homes Programme.

Public engagement

• See the update to recommendation 3.    

Next steps towards completion

Our next steps over the coming 6 months include:

Heat Strategy

• A public consultation on the Heat Strategy will take place in Summer 2023;
• The outcome of the consultation will inform the content of the final Strategy, to be published by the end of 2023.

Warm Homes Programme

• We expect to invite tenders for the new Warm Homes Programme in the summer, including an element of advice services and procure the new programme by the end of the calendar year.

Public engagement

• See the update to recommendation 3.