Local power, owned and run by communities, can be the key to solving Wales’ future energy needs, says the Future Generations Commissioner. 

Welsh Government needs to be more ambitious, so Wales has more solar, wind and water energy sources owned by and earning money for, local people, said Derek Walker. 

Mr Walker, whose role is to challenge government on how they’re improving lives for people born in the future, wants to see more schools, health centres and community buildings in Wales powered by renewable energy, where communities earn and save money from the energy themselves. 

In his Future Generations Report, he calls for more resourcing and support from Welsh Government for renewable energy projects, owned and led by community organisations and local authorities, and asks public bodies to do more to collaborate with the community, to release land for local energy schemes, and purchase the energy.  

Wales is the only country in the world with a Well-being of Future Generations Act, which requires public bodies to work together to improve life for now and for people not yet born. Since Wales committed to this new approach 10 years ago, we have seen a more progressive school curriculum, a move towards greener and healthier transport, and a new way to evaluate progress, based on well-being and fair work. 

Mr Walker is meeting with the First Minister, Eluned Morgan, on World Environment Day, June 5, to advocate for more support for local energy, where he will share the work of Star of the Sea, Borth, an arts and music venue with roof-top solar panels, which directly powers the neighbouring NHS GP surgery.  

His Future Generations Report highlights further collaborative successes, including Awel Aman Tawe and its two-turbine 4.7 MWp community windfarm 20 miles north of Swansea, and a community-owned micro-hydro turbine in Bethesda which generates electricity that is sold to the grid from the local river, with profits reinvested back into the community.   

Wales has already achieved 1GW of locally owned renewable electricity and heat capacity, against its target of 1.5GW by 2035. Mr Walker said he wants to see at least a doubling of the target to 3GW by 2035. 1GW is enough to power half a million homes. 

He said: “Community energy will play a crucial role in addressing climate change, involving communities in decisions, reducing energy bills, creating jobs and helping Wales become more energy-resilient in the future.  

“While Welsh Government has committed to expanding renewable energy generation by public bodies and community enterprises and good work is being done, the targets aren’t ambitious enough.  

“I want to see Welsh Government increase resourcing to its Energy Service, so that over the next 10 years we can unlock the latent potential and make our communities the new power hubs in Wales.” 

The Welsh Government Energy Service has invested £210million in more than 400 projects since 2018, including wind farms, rooftop solar installations, low carbon heating schemes, hydropower and zero emission fleets and EV.  

This, Welsh Government says, will achieve an estimated £367 million in local income and savings in their lifetimes and will have prevented the burning of nearly 300,000 tonnes of coal.   

In 2023, it set a target for 1.5 GW of locally owned renewable energy generation capacity by 2035, with an expectation for all ‘new energy projects to have at least an element of local ownership from 2020’. It has also committed to expanding renewable energy generation by public bodies and community enterprises in Wales by over 100 MW between 2021 and 2026.  

Paul Cowley, Community Renewables Technical Manager, Welsh Government Energy Service said: “Across the nation, community organisations are grappling to address very real issues from the local to the global. Community energy delivers on multiple fronts, supporting local jobs, helping to build community resilience, responding to fuel poverty and the affordability of energy and taking action to tackle the causes and effects of climate change. 

 “The Energy Service provides a range of technical advice and funding support to local councils and social enterprises. The latent demand for such projects is huge so we welcome the commissioner’s call for more community energy in Wales.” 

Case study – Community energy in action as 14 schools save money from renewable energy

Fourteen schools in Torfaen are seeing savings from the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, which convert sunlight directly into energy. 

Funded by the Welsh Government Energy Service, the project has led to an estimated saving of 2,459 tonnes of CO2 and £240,000 in annual energy costs across Torfaen Council and become an educational tool for students.  

Garnteg Primary School, where the biggest outlay is lighting, the kitchen and heating, joined the project two years ago and on an average day is seeing 163.09 kwh, the equivalent of planting 553 trees, generated. 

Since then, the school has been able to buy laptops and iPads with some of the money saved on energy bills. 

Torfaen Council explored schools with large roofs, and ideally south-facing, when deciding where to place the solar panels. 

The live solar edge portal also allows schools to see in real time how much energy is being generated and there are plans to integrate the data and learnings from the solar installations into the curriculum. 

Ceri Williams, Schools Energy Finance Officer at Torfaen Council said: “Every school has reported fantastic results – even on a cloudy day, energy is being generated and savings being made. 

“We now have 12 months of data that schools will soon be able to use as part of the curriculum, for example on maths and financial literacy, where children are being taught to read energy bills. 

“We have a target to be net zero by 2050 and schools are a large part of working towards that ambition.” 

An 11-year-old learner on the school eco council said she turns off lights in her home and walks to school and is proud to be at a school taking climate action and focusing on renewable energy solutions. 

She said: “Protecting our planet is so important and it feels good to be making a difference.” 

Headteacher, Susan Roche, said: “The solar installation project is an exciting opportunity for all the school community. Not only will the school make huge financial savings, but it will equip our pupils with vital life skills and knowledge about green energy for the future.” 

The school will also soon benefit from a heat pump installed with Welsh Government Energy Service support, through the Local Authority Low Carbon Heat Grant.