An energy group involved in the development of a network of wind farms across Wales has come under fire for allegedly publishing misleading claims about the project.
The countryside charity, Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales (CPRW), has lodged a formal complaint with the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) regarding statements made by companies affiliated with the Bute Energy Group on their websites.
Ross Evans, the Public and Community Affairs Manager of CPRW has written a letter to the ASA expressing concerns about “misleading information” displayed on the websites of GreenGenCymru and GreenGenTowyUsk.
Evans highlights potential violations of the ASA codes and standards.
A CPRW spokesperson told Energy Live News: “Bute Energy, and their subsidiary companies, are giving the renewable energy industry a bad name.
“Their heavy-handed approach to landowners and residents on both their proposals for massive wind projects, or to criss-cross Wales with huge pylon networks as part of their IDNO application with Ofgem leaves a lot to be desired.”
A spokesperson for Bute Energy told ELN: “As the recent Climate Change Committee Progress Report sets out, the rollout of renewables in Wales has slowed since 2016 and now new energy infrastructure must be taken forward quickly.
“A rapid response from industry and other stakeholders is required if we’re to meet future carbon budgets, and the Welsh Government’s target for electricity to be 100% renewable by 2035.
“Onshore wind is one of the lowest cost options for clean, green energy that can be deployed at pace, alongside the grid infrastructure needed to support it.
“Wales and rural Wales in particular needs to prepare for a net zero world where electricity demand will at least double, with a massive increase in the use of electric heat pumps and electric vehicles.
“The appropriate electricity infrastructure needs to be in place for rural Wales to remain a vibrant place to live now and for future generations.
“We have met with CPRW to discuss our proposals – and they did not raise these concerns at that time. However, if the ASA want to speak to us, we would be happy to welcome them to our head office in Cardiff.”
An ASA spokesperson told ELN: “We’ve received a complaint about claims on the websites Green Gen Cymru and Green Gen Towy Usk.
“The complainant objected that claims in the ads such as “acting now to build and operate a green energy network for Wales, that will make sure 100% renewable energy can flow to our homes, hospitals, schools, businesses, and communities” are misleading and unsubstantiated.
“We are currently assessing the complaint to determine whether there are grounds for further investigation. However, to emphasise, we’re currently not investigating.”
