Climate

‘Severely flawed’ vulnerable customer lists delayed storm response

Published

1 year ago

March 7, 2025

INACCURATE lists of vulnerable people led to delays in responding to storms, with staff sent to non-existent homes and a customer who had died years earlier, a committee heard.

Giving evidence to an inquiry on storms Bert and Darragh, which hit Wales late last year, Carmarthenshire Council described utility firms’ priority customer data as severely flawed.

The council told the Senedd’s climate committee the lists were inaccurate, out of date, and incompatible with NHS and social care definitions of vulnerability.

In written evidence, the council said this resulted in staff being deployed to screen the sheer volume, comparing thousands of names with council and health board records.

The council warned: “This caused unnecessary delays and on several occasions diverted operational staff away from their responsive work … to check addresses which did not either exist or in one case, the customer had passed away years before.”

Appearing before the committee on March 6, Paul Ridley, the council’s civil contingencies manager, called for consistency in the interpretation of vulnerability across all agencies.

Ainsley Williams, director of infrastructure at the council, pointed to initial problems due to concerns raised about data sharing and GDPR.

He added: “It still needs wider awareness amongst organisations that they can do that and must do that in an emergency.”

Ian Christie, managing director of water services at Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, said: “There is work to be done on joining up all vulnerable customers because we all have individual priority services registers with all different definitions of what makes a customer vulnerable.”

Mr Christie told the committee that GDPR “unfortunately cuts through everything”.

He said: “One of our biggest issues is trying to explain to a customer: just because they’ve registered … with another agency, that doesn’t automatically update to our priority services.”

Liam O’Sullivan, director of ScottishPower Energy Networks which owns the north Wales network, said customers are contracted every two years to check information is up to date.

“It’s very difficult at times because it’s an ever-changing picture,” he told Senedd Members.

The Conservatives’ Janet Finch-Saunders warned of huge issues with priority registers.

Ms Finch-Saunders said: “I can’t for the life of me – now with digital technology – understand why we haven’t got one list that is used by the fire [service], health, you name it.”

She raised January’s burst pipe which left 100,000 people in north Wales without water, with the number of customers registered as vulnerable doubling to 7,500 in a few days.

“That shows there’s some weakness in the system,” she said.

Mr Christie explained a task-and-finish group has been set up by Huw Irranca-Davies, the Deputy First Minister, to look at trying to resolve the issue of one common list.

Labour’s Carolyn Thomas questioned why Anglesey council was only provided with a register at 9pm on Sunday December 9, more than 24 hours after Storm Darragh’s peak.

Mr O’Sullivan said of the approximately 70,000 people who live on the island, 17,000 are on the priority services register.

“We did our best to prioritise those customers,” he said.

Pressed about the 24-hour delay, he told the committee: “I’m sorry, I wasn’t aware that that was the case – but it certainly won’t be the case next time.”

Climate

New deal aims to unlock Wales’ renewable energy potential

Published

3 days ago

March 18, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Sector partnership targets 100% renewable electricity by 2035

A NEW deal has been launched to help Wales meet its renewable energy targets while ensuring greater benefits for local communities.

The Renewable Energy Sector Deal will see the Welsh Government and industry work in strategic partnership to unlock the full economic potential of Wales’ renewable energy future.

The announcement coincides with the publication of the latest Energy Generation and Energy Use in Wales report, which shows renewable electricity generation in 2024 was equivalent to 54% of Wales’ electricity consumption.

The Welsh Government has set a target for renewable electricity to meet 70% of demand by 2030 and 100% by 2035. It also aims to deliver at least 1.5 gigawatts of locally owned renewable energy capacity by 2035.

The Sector Deal is intended to accelerate deployment across onshore and offshore wind, solar, marine and hydro projects. It will also focus on strengthening supply chains, developing skills, and ensuring communities across Wales benefit directly from renewable energy developments.

Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans, is launching the deal during a visit to the Morlais tidal energy project on Anglesey.

The Morlais scheme, owned and managed by social enterprise Menter Môn, is set to become the largest consented tidal energy project in Europe. The Welsh Government holds an £8 million equity stake in the project.

Rebecca Evans said: “Our ambition is to become a world leader in renewable energy, creating jobs and green growth to make families in Wales more prosperous and help with the cost of living.

“The current conflict in the Middle East has further highlighted the importance of energy independence. Our Renewable Energy Sector Deal will provide a strong foundation for future delivery, benefiting our economy, environment and energy security.

“The Morlais project shows how sustained partnership can unlock Wales’ natural energy resources and turn them into lasting economic opportunities for local communities and businesses.

“The latest energy report shows we are making progress towards our targets. Combined with the record 20 major renewable projects, totalling 1,400MW, backed in the most recent UK Government Contracts for Difference auction, it is clear we are building a more resilient, renewable-powered future.”

Dafydd Gruffydd, Managing Director of Menter Môn, added: “The Renewable Energy Sector Deal is an important step in accelerating growth in Wales and across the UK.

“It recognises the role marine energy schemes like Morlais can play in strengthening energy security, creating high-quality jobs and delivering long-term economic benefits for communities such as Anglesey.”

The Sector Deal was co-produced by a task and finish group made up of developers and community organisations.

Responding to the Welsh Government’s Renewable Energy Sector Deal, Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said: “This so-called ‘sector deal’ raises more questions than it answers.

“There is no clear plan for how we build the workforce needed, with no detail on training, skills or apprenticeships to deliver the green jobs Wales needs.

“Ministers also promise benefits for communities, but without minimum standards or enforcement, there is no guarantee local people will see the rewards.

“Most concerning is the lack of focus on energy bills. Families are struggling, yet there is no clear explanation of how this will bring down costs. Renewable energy should mean cheaper bills, but as long as electricity prices are tied to gas, households won’t feel the benefit, something Labour in Westminster has failed to fix.”

Climate

Research vessel begins mission to study seabed carbon in Irish Sea

Published

5 days ago

March 16, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Bangor University scientists join £2.1m project investigating the impact of bottom trawling on carbon stored beneath the seabed

A STATE OF THE ART research vessel has set sail from Liverpool to investigate how bottom trawling may affect carbon stored in the seabed of the Irish Sea.

The scientific expedition is part of a £2.1 million research project funded by the Natural Environment Research Council and led by Professor Jan Geert Hiddink of Bangor University.

A team of eighteen scientists has embarked on the RRS Discovery, one of the world’s most advanced research vessels, for a three-and-a-half-week voyage studying the impact of fishing activity on carbon held in seabed sediments.

Before the ship departed, a number of local dignitaries were invited aboard for a tour of the vessel, including Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram and National Oceanography Centre Operations Director Natalie Campbell.

Professor Jan Geert Hiddink, from Bangor University’s School of Ocean Sciences, said bottom-trawl fishing is both vital to global food supply and a major disturbance to seabed environments.

“Bottom-trawl fishing provides around a quarter of global seafood but is also the most extensive physical disturbance caused by human activities to stocks of carbon locked in seabed sediments,” he said.

“This is important because recent evidence suggests that disturbing the seabed could lead to the release of significant amounts of greenhouse gases from the seabed into the atmosphere.

“There are still major uncertainties about how this disturbance affects carbon stored beneath the seabed. As a result, the impact of these disturbances is largely unquantified and currently unregulated.

“The aim of this project is to gain a much clearer understanding of what is happening so that scientists, policymakers and regulators can make informed decisions in the future.”

Seven research organisations are collaborating on the project: Bangor University, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Heriot-Watt University, the University of Leeds, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, the University of St Andrews, and Imperial College London.

Caption: Scientists prepare to begin their research aboard the RRS Discovery, one of the world’s most advanced research vessels.

Climate

Green hydrogen plant approved for Milford Haven Freeport site

Published

1 week ago

March 11, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Major investment expected to boost low-carbon industry and create skilled jobs in West Wales

A MAJOR green hydrogen project planned for the Milford Haven Freeport tax site has taken a significant step forward after developers approved the final investment decision.

Energy company MorGen Energy has confirmed it will proceed with the West Wales Hydrogen project, one of the first schemes backed through the UK Government’s Hydrogen Allocation Round (HAR1) to reach this stage.

The facility will be built within the Milford Haven Tax Site, part of the Celtic Freeport zone covering Pembrokeshire and Neath Port Talbot.

Construction is expected to begin in 2026, with the plant scheduled to become operational in early 2028.

Once completed, the site is expected to produce around 2,000 tonnes of low-carbon hydrogen each year, meeting the UK’s Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard.

The hydrogen produced will support a range of industries, including port operations, manufacturing and industrial heating, as well as use as a chemical feedstock.

Supporters say the development will help reduce carbon emissions while strengthening Milford Haven’s role in the UK’s emerging hydrogen economy.

The project is also expected to create skilled jobs and provide work for local contractors during the construction phase.

Further expansion may be possible in future phases as demand for hydrogen grows, potentially helping establish Milford Haven as a major hub for low-carbon energy production serving South Wales and beyond.

Luciana Ciubotariu, Chief Executive of Celtic Freeport, said the decision marked another milestone for the region.

She said: “MorGen Energy’s decision is another major step forward for the hydrogen economy in South West Wales.

“Projects like this within the Milford Haven Tax Site show how the Celtic Freeport is accelerating decarbonisation while creating high-value jobs.”

The UK Government’s Hydrogen Allocation Round scheme provides revenue support to help scale up the country’s low-carbon hydrogen sector and bring early projects to market.