Clean Power 2030 Action Plan

Clean Power 2030 Action Plan

Media Release
16^th December 2024

The U.K. Government published their clean Clean Power Action Plan on Friday 13 December, setting out the actions needed to substantially decarbonise the GB electricity grid by 2030 as part of the journey to achieving net zero by 2050.  The plan includes regional targets for solar and onshore wind power generation, reforms the grid connection process from “first come, first served” to “most ready, first connected” and lays the groundwork for reforming the electricity wholesale market

Wales can easily reach net zero and remain a major electricity exporter to the rest of GB just from using offshore wind turbines in the Irish and Celtic Seas.  Other than storage and grid balancing there is no need for any onshore renewables, or other generation, to “keep the lights on”.  However, the Clean Power Action Plan includes significant levels of onshore generation in Wales, and this is supported by the Welsh Government

The aim is for at least 4,000 MW of solar in Wales by 2030.

CPRW Chairman, Jonty Colchester, said: “We believe solar deployment should follow a hierarchy: the priority should be to have it integrated into new build domestic, commercial and industrial buildings by the building developer and  be mandated by building standards.  Existing buildings should be retrofitted, and solar parks should be on brownfield, low quality (non-BMV) agricultural or other marginal land.”

CPRW trustee, Simon Brook added: “Where agricultural land has to be used we want developers to follow these design principles:

1. Engage with the community, and elected representatives, at the very outset, before negotiating with landowners and forming outline designs. Involve them in the design process
2. Only utilise non BMV agricultural land
3. Set a maximum size for individual blocks of panels (eg 10 acres, 2-3 MW) and separate these by multiples of their size. This size will depend on the type of landscape and avoid any one area being dominated
4. Set a panel density to guarantee effective grazing can be maintained
5. Use road verges, railway corridors and other “wasted space” where possible
6. Use linear features in the landscape such as hedge/field boundaries
7. Connect to the distribution and/or transmission grid at multiple locations and voltages (11 kV, 33 kV, 66 kV, 132 kV, 400 kV) to make best use of existing infrastructure
8. Site some or all battery storage adjacent to distribution substations substations
9. Screen blocks of panels with densely planted, low growing (ca 4 m), native trees that are known to thrive
10. Offer community benefits directed towards achieving net zero, such as rooftop solar, heat pumps, insulation, car chargers, community energy trading etc.”

The Clean Power Action Plan includes 5,000 MW of onshore wind generation in Wales by 2030

CPRW trustee, Dr Jonathan Dean, said: “It is disappointing that the immense potential of offshore wind continues to be ignored.  The U.K. Government doesn’t seem interested and the Welsh Government have no devolved powers.

The Celtic Sea opportunity is of course novel and exciting, but is essentially a long term development that may struggle to hit the U.K. Government’s targets.  The Irish Sea is relatively shallow and can be developed using technology currently being used in the North Sea.

The stronger, less variable, wind at sea can result in twice the generation of clean power compared to onshore turbines, which makes better use of grid capacity.  The economic benefit would be considerable for north Wales coastal communities and of course would spare our countryside and landscapes from onshore turbines”

More information can be found on CPRW’s website cprw.org.uk.

Ends

Notes to Editors

• For further information please contact: Caroline Conway, CPRW on 07731567488 or via email [email protected]
• CPRW was founded in 1928 making it the oldest rural charity in Wales. The charity is passionate about creating a countryside which works for everyone, aims to protect wild spaces for the next generation and to enable a sustainable rural community for all.