Clean, green energy package goes for "Little and Large" approach

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Sat 14th Oct 2006

Welsh Liberal Democrats have put the spotlight on renewable energy at their autumn conference in Aberystwyth today.

Members backed two motions - one would create a fund for community-based renewable energy initiatives, and a second which calls for a study in to the generation potential of the River Severn.

Kirsty Williams AM said: "Wales is blessed with incredible natural resources to create clean, green energy. We should be a beacon of best practice but to do that we have to work at both the major and the minor scales. To be successful we need a "Little and Large" approach.

"There are no renewable energy schemes larger than the Severn Barrage or tidal lagoons. The tidal range on the River Severn gives it enormous potential. Studying the costs - both financial and ecological are crucial to ensuring we make the most of that potential, without destroying our environment."

Mick Bates added: "I'm equally excited about what happens at home and in our communities. We are passionate about encouraging people to generate their own energy. Because when people generate their own power, they become more switched on to how it is used and the wider environmental consequences of our energy greed.

"Our proposals to encourage communities and individual households to invest in micro-generation will be a major step towards our ambitions for a cleaner, greener Wales."

Notes:

In Scotland, where Liberal Democrats have been in government for the past eight years, they have a pledge to produce 100% of their energy needs from renewable sources by 2050.