By Jonathan Edwards MP - 6th September 2011
Jonathan Edwards MP calls for energy powers, formerly held by the IPC, to be devolved to the National Assembly for Wales.
When devolution took place in 1999, different powers over energy and planning were given to the new Scottish Parliament and to the Welsh Assembly.
There has been a long campaign to ensure parity between the two devolved institutions. We are not there yet.
I believe that the Welsh Government should have the final say over energy planning which takes place in Wales.
At present, the Welsh Government regulates permissions for up to 50MW on land in Wales, as set out for local authorities in the 1989 Electricity Act.
Permissions above this level are decided upon by the Infrastructure Planning Commission, an arms-length quango with no political scrutiny which was set up despite opposition from Plaid, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in the 2008 Planning Act.
One of the first activities of the new UK coalition government has been to scrap the IPC in the Localism Bill which is currently undergoing report stage in the House of Lords.
But to where should those powers now return?
One of the first motions at report stage in the 2008 Planning Act was that power over energy consent in Wales should be transferred to the National Assembly for Wales.
You may be surprised to read that this was not a Plaid Cymru motion, but one from the Liberal Democrats, backed by now deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, and now energy and cimate change secretary Chris Huhne.
Yet, in contrast to their position in opposition, the Liberal Democrats are now arguing that those powers from the soon-to-be disbanded IPC should return to be held in London. In my speech I shall be asking them what has changed in the past three years.
Figures from the National Assembly's members' research service show that barely a third of permissions requested are dealt with at a local level with the remainder decided by the IPC or the UK government.
It is that frustration which drives a campaign which is supported by Friends of the Earth and the Campaign for Rural Wales.
In Wales, there is cross-party support for further devolution of energy powers. All four political parties included it in their manifestos for the recent Welsh election.
It is entirely arbitrary that an energy generating station of 49MW should be determined at a Welsh level, but that one of 51MW should be decided in London.
Energy policy and security is going to be of increasing importance in coming years and all governments have a role to play.
In the words of Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Plaid's energy spokesperson in the Welsh Assembly:
"It is not for the United Kingdom to keep responsibility for itself in taking actions on behalf of Wales and Scotland, but a matter on which we should work together."
Jonathan Edwards has been Plaid Cymru MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr since 2010. He is the party spokesperson for business, innovation and skills, for communities and local government, for culture, Olympics, media and sport, for transport and for Treasury.
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