Contact/Cyswllt:  Sian Cliff
02920 898342 / sian.cliff@wales.gov.uk

Welsh Lib Dem spokesperson on the Environment, Mick Bates AM, has welcomed the wind of change announced today by Business Secretary John Hutton but has criticised the Labour UK Government on their yo-yo attitude towards crucial renewable energy targets.

Mr Hutton has announced at a European energy industry conference in Berlin that over 7,000 off-shore wind turbines could be developed to power the equivalent of all of the UK's homes by 2020, contributing immensely towards the EU target of producing 20% energy from renewable sources by 2020. The challenge, states the UK Business Secretary, is to “turn this potential - for our energy and economy - into a cost-effective reality.”

Last month Mick Bates criticised the UK Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks for backtracking on the UK Government’s renewable energy target and stated that he hoped the Labour-Plaid Assembly Government would not follow their shameful lead. Commenting on this latest development Mick said:

“I am pleased to see this welcome change of tone from the UK Government, however this yo-yo attitude towards climate change could put us all at risk. We need decisive action now and not just warm words if we are to prevent the worst effects of climate change and secure a truly sustainable energy policy for the future.

“The Welsh Liberal Democrats support the appropriate use of wind power, in particular the development of off-shore wind farms which are less intrusive and have minimal local environmental impact. I welcome this commitment to off-shore wind energy and I only hope that this time the Labour Government in Westminster will not back down on its word.”

In his announcement today Mr Hutton went on to say that nuclear may be used to supplement wind energy to cover calmer wind periods. Representing the only party which remains opposed to nuclear power in Wales Mick stated:

“I hope this announcement today signals a change in the wind from Westminster but we must not let it open the door to a toxic nuclear future. In Wales there is huge potential for generating energy from renewable sources yet we are over 70% behind our target of producing 10% renewable energy by 2010. We must take advantage of this potential and develop policies based on a wide variety of renewable energy sources, not condemn ourselves to a toxic nuclear future over which we in Wales will have no say whatsoever.”



End / Diwedd