The IWA (Institute of Welsh Affairs) has a plan to have Wales using 100% renewable energy by 2035. It has published a study on how Wales could make the transition to total renewable energy.
The report is titled “A plan for Wales’ renewable energy future: Essential actions to re-energise Wales by 2035.”
Drawing on evidence from IWA Re-energising Wales reports, the Institute of Welsh Affairs has identified essential actions that must be delivered between now and 2035.
IWA sees significant tidal power potential
Tidal power could contribute significantly to Wales’ future energy needs, says IWA, especially off the coast of Anglesey and Pembrokeshire.
The report authors argue that tidal power, unlike solar energy, does not dip during the winter months.
Tidal power is a type of hydropower that converts the energy in moving tidal waters into electricity. We also use the term tidal energy with the same meaning.
Unlike wind power or solar power, with tidal power we can predict when to capture the energy. We always know when the tides ebb and flow, but not when the sun comes out or when the wind blows.
Currently, there are no commercial-scale tidal projects in the United Kingdom, the authors point out. The IWA acknowledges that it would be a major challenge for Wales. With the UK leaving the European Union, there will be no chance of European Funding.
What is renewable energy?
Renewable energy is energy from an everlasting source, i.e., the source never depletes. ‘Everlasting,’ in this context, refers to a human timescale (not a geological timescale).
We never run out of tides, the Sun is always there, and we know there will always be wind at some time. That is why solar energy, tidal energy, and wind energy are renewable.
Geothermal energy, which uses Earth’s internal heat, as well as biomass energy (fuel from organic materials), are also renewables.