Jonathan Cawley from West Coast Energy has been appointed the new chairman of RenewableUK Cymru, the trade and professional body for the wind and marine renewables industries in Wales. He is currently planning and development manager at Mold-based West Coast Energy where he is responsible for overseeing the company’s interests in Wales. He is a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (MRTPI) and sits on the RTPI Cymru’s Policy and Research Forum.
Mr Cawley’s first role as chairman was to address the RenewableUK Cymru Conference in Cardiff on Wednesday 2 May. In his maiden speech he vowed to “shake things up” and “get some action” on the things that have been holding up the sector in Wales. He said: “I am delighted to have been appointed Chair of the Strategy Committee. I look forward to working closely with my committee colleagues to ensure the Welsh renewables industry contributes towards better defining, and achieving, the Assembly’s energy targets. Coming, as I do, from the sharp end of developing onshore wind projects across the UK, I hope to be able to promote in Wales more of the positive pro-renewables attitude and ambitious green energy targets that we already see in Scotland.”
Mr Cawley also welcomed the current expansion at RenewableUK Cymru:
“RenewableUK Cymru has been severely under resourced for quite some time and I’m looking forward to working with a ramped-up office to make a real difference. We will continue to give a strong focus on onshore wind although I would also like to raise the profile of offshore wind and other marine renewables. For example, Gwynt y Môr will be the UK’s largest offshore wind farm, which is great news in terms of achieving renewable energy targets and in building a robust supply chain.”
Llywelyn Rhys , deputy director of RenewableUK Cymru , said: “It is good to have someone with Jonathan’s expertise and experience as chairman. He has been an active member of the RenewableUK Cymru Strategy Group for some time and will provide the strong leadership the industry needs. I’m very much looking forward to working closely with him over the next two years.”
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Offshore WIND staff, May 10, 2012; Image: RenewableUK