Wales’ renewable energy industry has issued a challenge to the next Welsh Government: back a bold, joined-up clean power strategy or risk billions in investment, thousands of skilled jobs and millions in community funding flowing elsewhere in the UK.
RenewableUK Cymru’s new Cymru Clean Power: Call for Government 2026 outlines how Wales could unlock a £10 billion economic opportunity for Welsh businesses, create 8,000 secure, well-paid jobs, and deliver affordable, home-grown energy – if government and industry work together in a formal Cymru Clean Power Partnership.
Electricity demand in Wales is projected to double – potentially triple – by 2050. Two planned AI Growth Zones alone could require as much electricity as a city the size of Cardiff. Electrified heavy industry, electric vehicles and heat pumps will all add to that demand. Yet most of Wales’ electricity still comes from imported gas, exposing households and businesses to volatile global prices, RenewableUK Cymru said.
Wales has the natural resources to meet this challenge, it added, with some of the best wind and tidal resources in Europe. The choice facing voters and politicians is clear: continue importing fossil fuels or build a home-grown clean energy system that powers jobs, industry and communities across Wales, the organisation said.
RenewableUK Cymru’s analysis suggests that by accelerating large-scale wind, solar and tidal projects Wales can:
- Unlock £10 billion for Welsh businesses
- Support 8,000 secure, skilled jobs
- Deliver average salaries of £49,000 — around £10,000 above the Welsh average
- Generate up to £183 million in community benefit funding over the next decade
- Protect households from price volatility by reducing reliance on imported gas
But generating more clean electricity is only part of the equation, it says.
Wales must also modernise and increase its grid network that connects power to homes, businesses and industry. Without this, new renewable projects will stall, investment decisions will drift elsewhere, and emerging industries that depend on abundant, reliable electricity will look beyond Wales, RenewableUK Cymru is warning.
These grid upgrades must prioritise affordability and value for money for the consumer, it added. Research shows burying power lines can cost up to five times more than overhead lines, which has significant implications for bill payers, it says. A pragmatic, cost-effective approach to grid modernisation will be essential, the organisation said.
Jessica Hooper, Director of RenewableUK Cymru, said:
“As parties set out their priorities for Wales, energy is our defining economic choice. Clean energy is one of the UK’s fastest-growing industries. Wales has the natural resources, the projects in the pipeline, and investors ready to go.
“But without a grid fit for the future, that opportunity will not be realised.
“A Cymru Clean Power Partnership would turn potential into delivery – securing affordable, home-grown energy, billions in investment, thousands of well-paid jobs and millions in funding for communities across Wales.”
At the heart of the Call for Government is a proposed Cymru Clean Power Partnership – a two-way agreement between government and industry.
Under the proposal Government would commit to:
- Clear, technology-specific targets for wind, solar and tidal
- A faster, well-resourced planning system
- Cost-effective grid modernisation
- A stable, long-term policy and investment framework
Industry would commit to:
- Skilled, well-paid Welsh jobs
- Strong local supply chains
- Consistent, transparent community benefit standards
- Delivering measurable local economic and environmental value
RenewableUK Cymru is urging all parties contesting the election to commit to the Cymru Clean Power Partnership.
