GUEST COLUMN:
Dr Catrin Ellis Jones
Head of Public Involvement
Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru
As Wales prepares for a future that relies far more heavily on electricity, the question is not only how quickly we can build the infrastructure we need, but how we do it, and who gets to shape it. Public involvement is not a new idea, but it is becoming more important than ever as decisions about our energy system become more visible and more complex.
At its core, public involvement is about making robust and sustainable decisions by bringing in as many perspectives as possible. It is not about trying to change policy out of turn or out of context. We all shape policy in different ways, including through voting. In infrastructure development, public involvement is about shaping the best possible projects to meet our shared needs. I often describe this as Engaging, Deliberating, Deciding and Delivering together (EDDD). That means investing more time and effort at the beginning, rather than Deciding in isolation, Announcing plans, and then spending years Defending them (DAD), and perhaps not managing to deliver at all. These are two very different approaches, and they tend to lead to very different outcomes.
Involving people early does not mean trying to secure universal agreement. That is rarely possible on any issue. But it does mean taking better decisions, informed by more viewpoints, and reaching outcomes that more people can live with. In the long run, that matters for trust and for delivery.
At Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru, our role is to develop renewable energy projects, starting on land owned by the Welsh Government. We are not responsible for delivering transmission or distribution networks, but many of the challenges around public confidence, understanding and involvement, are shared across the entire electricity system. One of the first things we have to do on any project is understand who the local community actually is. That varies enormously across Wales.
Around one project in the Valleys, for example, there are around 17,000 domestic and business addresses within a three-kilometre consultation zone. In a more rural area, there may be closer to 2,500 people within a five-kilometre zone. Those differences matter, not just in scale, but in how people engage, what issues come up, and what kinds of benefits feel meaningful. There is no single model that works everywhere.
Our approach is to go both broad and deep. That can include digital consultation tools that people can complete in a few minutes on their phone, providing qualitative insight from a wide range of voices. But it also means spending time in community halls, at local events, and in face-to-face conversations where people can explore issues in more depth. Written, digital and in-person engagement all have a role to play. What matters is taking the insights we gather seriously, exploring what they mean together (the in-depth engagement does this) and using them.
This has become more challenging in an environment where there is a huge amount of information available, alongside a growing amount of misinformation. The electricity system itself is complicated, involving generators, distribution networks, transmission networks and national oversight. People are rightly doing their own research, forming their own views, and bringing that context into conversations. Our responsibility is to recognise that complexity, cross-reference what we hear, and demonstrate that we are reaching a broad and representative cross-section of the community. Being able to show that process is a source of credibility.
There is also a long-standing tension between national and local interests. We all recognise the importance of renewable energy, but people often ask whether it needs to happen in their area. As a publicly owned developer, Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru is exploring models that aim to serve both. Our remit is to unlock renewable energy potential while keeping more of the environmental, economic and social benefits in Wales, by giving Welsh people a stake through public ownership.
In practice, that means not presenting communities with a blank sheet of paper. Most of us find that daunting. Instead, we start with initial ideas, such as early design concepts or suggested approaches to community benefits, and ask people to respond to those. That creates a more constructive conversation and allows projects to be shaped together.
This is where the idea of a “third way” becomes important. It is not community energy where local people have to do all the work themselves, though these projects do deliver great benefits for very localised areas. It is not a model where large companies can be perceived as doing things to communities. It is about doing things with people and for people. It is about placing more control in the hands of Welsh communities, while still delivering the ambitious, sustainable development projects the nation needs.
Trust is built by showing, not telling. Providing evidence, being transparent about trade-offs, and explaining both local and national benefits all matter. Every community will prioritise different outcomes, from small, locally responsive initiatives to longer-term strategic investment. Responsive community benefit funding can support that, allowing communities to shape their own vision of the future and respond to changing needs.
As we move towards a more electric system, the stakes are rising. Jobs, services and daily life are increasingly dependent on reliable electricity. Preparing for that future cannot be left to developers or policymakers alone. It has to be a joint effort, moving away from the idea of citizens as passive consumers and towards citizens participating in defining our shared future. In Wales, where there is a long tradition of collaboration and a strong focus on social justice, that approach is both realistic and necessary.
Dr Catrin Ellis Jones talks about this and more in the GRID podcast episode Power to the People – Communities and the Future of the Grid. Listen to the podcast here.
