News from Welsh Labour

AM urges UK Government to avoid playing ‘catch-up’ on solar power

A Labour Member of the Welsh Assembly, has urged the UK Government to “avoid playing catch-up” with other European countries when it comes to having a greater reliance in the future on greener, solar power.

Wrexham’s AM, Lesley Griffiths made her remarks following news that a subsidiary of the French state-owned energy company EDF, is to collaborate with an American solar panel manufacturer, to build a huge new solar energy plant which will create an annual capacity of more than 100 Megawatt Peak (MWp).

The French announcement came just a week after Germany bolstered its position as the predominant European nation, when it comes to solar technology. A new project – which has the full backing of the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel and her Government – aims to provide 15% of Europe’s electricity needs from solar thermal power produced in the Sahara desert and delivered to Europe via high-voltage cable.

Ms. Griffiths – a Member of the Welsh Assembly’s Sustainability Committee – is now calling on the UK Government to share the same vision as other European Governments and commit itself to the same levels of support and investment in solar power in the future.

The AM’s Wrexham constituency is home to Sharp UK, the largest solar panel manufacturer in Europe. Their Llay-based factory produces panels for an almost exclusive German market, however, Ms. Griffiths believes the time has arrived for the UK Government to emulate other EU countries in embracing solar power generation more vigorously. She believes the path to having a greater dependence on such a form of energy would be made considerably easier for the UK, given the presence of the Sharp plant in Wrexham.

In her call, Lesley Griffiths AM said:

“In the last two weeks, the French and German Governments have again proven their committment to a solar future. Both of these highly innovative projects have been shrewd moves as every indicator now shows that the use of solar energy is going to increase exponentially in the coming decade, as we endeavour to harness greener forms of power.

“France has already pledged to multiply its solar power use by 400 in the coming twelve years. Germany is already the predominant European country when it comes to solar energy use – infact it is Sharp UK’s largest market.

“Yet the same ‘hunger’ for solar power does not exist in the UK. We have undoubtedly been slow off the mark in promoting, encouraging and pump-priming individuals, communities and businesses to invest in solar power. We are now sadly, in a situation where we are playing catch-up with our EU neighbours.

“The time for strategies and talking is long over. We now need to see the UK Government taking real, decisive and state-aided action if necessary, to ensure that a radical change in culture takes place. If Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Denmark can increase their use of solar power, then so must we.

“When it comes to the manufacture of solar panels, Sharp UK has ensured Wrexham and Wales is now the ‘powerhouse’ of Europe. Sadly at the moment, all this high-tech photovoltaic innovation is going to generate energy for use in other countries and not our own. This cannot be allowed to continue.”

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