Our Chair, Dr David Clubb, argues that the focus for energy in Wales should be on energy efficiency, and on local ownership of new energy projects.
A senior advisor to the Welsh government says some of the investment in clean energy jobs is being strong place. Dr David Clubb, who chairs the National Infrastructure Commission, says priorities should be given to insulating homes to help down bills. The UK government plans to invest in carbon capture schemes, which Dr. Clubb says are an unproven technology.
The welders of the future learning their trade at Pembrokeshire College in Havford West. But these students will be joined by many more in the coming weeks. That's because the college has been chosen to pilot a scheme, which ministers say will bring 15,000 new jobs to Wales, training skilled workers to help the transition to clean energy.
Though he welcomes the investment, Dr David Clubb, who's an expert in green energy technology and also the chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, questions government plans to spend billions on carbon capture as part of the package.
"We should really be talking first about how we use energy in the first place. And Wales has the oldest housing stock in Western Europe. We have many, many people in fuel poverty. So I think for Wales, probably the first thing we should be doing is looking at a program of insulation and UK government should be putting money into that. To compare that, for example, with what they've talked about with a 20 billion pound investment in carbon capture and storage, well, that's an unproven technology that is likely not going to make a big impact on our ambitions for net zero by 2050. far better to reduce the amount that people in Wales are paying for their energy bills. Have houses that are more comfortable, warmer, much easier to heat, than to be spending huge sums of money, which will create jobs, yes, but in a very localised area."
Dr Clubb also asks whether large-scale green projects will actually benefit Wales.
"The other angle for me and for the Infrastructure Commission is that we're disappointed, that ownership of these projects is not being considered. So yes, there will be lots of jobs created whilst renewable energy projects are being developed. But ownership of those projects is vastly outside of Wales. So it's only the community energy sector and a few small companies in Wales that will own any of the projects. So we would like to see a renewable energy bill that gave the opportunity for local organisations and people to buy into projects."