The Welsh government has announced plans to reform the planning system for renewable energy projects in order to speed up the planning process.
Speaking at the Future Energy Wales conference at the ICC Wales in Newport today (13 November), Welsh economy, energy and planning cabinet secretary Rebecca Evans is set to reveal plans that will delegate decisions on renewable energy projects with capacities of up to 50MW to Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW).
This change from the current system, which requires renewable energy projects with capacities larger than 10MW to acquire permission directly from the Welsh government under the Developments of National Significance (DNS) process, is expected to cut the average decision time for renewable energy generation planning applications by at least 12 weeks.
Evans will also address the shortage of planning professionals in Wales, as well as a plan to expand the the Welsh government’s resources to quicken the pace at which DNS renewable energy projects are approved.
Evans states: “Planning makes a major contribution to green growth, and accelerating infrastructure planning decisions is one of the Welsh government’s top priorities. We need to make it as efficient as possible for all concerned.
“Delegating decision-making powers to PEDW on renewable energy projects up to 50MW alone will significantly reduce the end-to-end decision time and will help ensure that the right projects are given thorough consideration quicker.”
Since being appointed in September, Evans has approved five major renewable energy projects, which when completed will have a combined capacity of over 280MW. These include EDF Renewables’ Garn Fach onshore wind farm, an 85MW development set to be located south of Newtown, mid Wales.
Managing director of Welsh renewable energy developer Bute Energy, Stuart George welcomed the news, having previously called for urgent reform of the Welsh renewable energy planning system. Of today’s announcement, George said: “We share the Welsh Government’s ambition for a more sustainable future for Wales, powered by green growth. Today’s announcement from the Welsh government on their first proposals for planning reform is welcome, and we look forward to learning more in the coming months.”
Welsh renewables represent a £47 billion investment opportunity
The Future Energy Wales conference also saw new analysis commissioned by RenewableUK Cymru revealed, showing the investment potential of the Welsh renewable energy sector.
RenewableUK Cymru, alongside Solar Energy UK and Marine Energy Wales, commissioned BiGGAR Economics to map out the potential economic impact of Wales hitting its renewable energy targets for various renewable energy generation sources. This analysis predicts that the Welsh renewable energy sector will attract £46.8 billion of investment by 2035, with an average annual investment of £4 billion.
Offshore wind is expected to be responsible for the bulk of this investment, with £32.4 billion of investment forecasted for the sector by 2035. RenewableUK’s 2024 Welsh wind power report has shown immense growth in interest in both on and offshore wind power, with the pipeline of wind projects growing by 18% over the last year to reach 10.5GW of projects in development as of November 2024.
Investment in onshore wind could be a major catalyst for renewable energy growth in Wales. An estimated £4.5 billion in investment could enable Wales’ onshore wind capacity to reach over 3GW by 2035, as long as reforms to the planning system can sufficiently shorten the planning timeline.
Jess Hooper, director of RenewableUK Cymru said: “Wales stands at the threshold of a historic opportunity. By harnessing this renewable investment potential, we can secure Welsh jobs and build a secure, long-term local economy across all parts of the country. But to channel this investment into tangible progress, we need stronger, immediate support from both the UK and Welsh governments.
“That is why we are calling for a coordinated, four-nations approach to accelerate wind deployment and grid upgrades.”
