Plaid Cymru’s candidate for Bangor Aberconwy, Catrin Wager, said that the party would grants powers for local ownership of renewable energy projects, like Ynni Ogwen, to sell locally generated energy to local residents – thereby lowering energy bills and supporting local economies.
The Plaid Cymru candidate also reiterated the party’s demands to devolve the Crown Estate to Wales to ensure that Wales could directly benefit from “new green renewable projects such as offshore wind” – with community ownership a key part of the projects.
The Crown Estate is a collection of land and assets owned by the Crown, but managed by an independent trust. Its profits are funnelled into the UK Treasury, and 25% of revenues into the Sovereign grant, paid for the upkeep of the royal family.
The Crown Estate in Wales owns about 65% of the Welsh foreshore and riverbed, and more than 50,000 acres of land. In 2020-21, the value of the estate went from £96.8m to £603m, reflecting the value of the land for renewable development and other projects.
The estimated annual revenue in 2020-2021 was £8.7m. As revealed by Cymru Republic, the value in 2023 is £853m.
Since 2016, the Crown Estate has been devolved in Scotland.
Plaid Cymru candidate for Bangor Aberconwy Catrin Wager said,
“Energy bills are still on average £670 higher than they were three years ago. People are still paying the price for the Tories’ trashing of the economy. Wales is energy rich but we pay among the highest energy bills in the whole of the UK. That’s not fair.
“Community owned green energy is key to ensuring energy security and lower bills for Welsh households.
“Plaid Cymru would grant powers for local ownership of renewable energy projects – like the pioneering Ynni Ogwen in the constituency of Bangor Aberconwy, to make sure that it is our communities that directly benefit from energy generation and our rich natural resources.
“We would also enable community energy projects to sell locally generated energy directly to local residents, supporting lower energy bills and benefiting local economies.
“We would also devolve the £853million worth Crown Estate in Wales so that Wales directly benefits from new green renewable projects such as offshore wind, with community ownership a key part of these projects.
“We would abolish the unfair standing charges which sees residents in North Wales paying far more than residents in richer parts of the UK such as London and the South East of England.
“Keir Starmer’s Labour have already dropped their £28 billion pound pledge for green investment, what is to say that they will deliver on their vague promise for a new national energy company too?
“Only Plaid Cymru can be trusted to stand up for Wales.
