Leaders' Speeches

Community Energy Wales published our manifesto for the upcoming Senedd elections back in September 2025.

The manifesto was drafted after an in depth crowdsourcing process with our members including the open amending of a draft at the Community Energy Conference held in June 2025 at the Centre for Alternative Technology.

The manifesto outlines a suite of policy proposals that implemented together, will create the conditions for community energy and community ownership to flourish.

There are countless reasons to support the creation of “energy communities”, which are popular in many other European countries, all outlined in the manifesto here:

https://communityenergy.wales/content/publications/Community-Energy-Wales-Manifesto-2026.pdf

As a sector we are keen to hear from the political parties that could form the next government of Wales whether they support energy communities and what a government led by them would do to help create the conditions to enable energy communities to thrive.

To that end, we wrote to each of the parties’ manifesto authors when ours was published.

Four of the six parties we contacted responded positively. We are yet to hear from the others - it would be wonderful if they were to get in touch letting us have their thoughts on our manifesto ahead of the election. Our members and supporters would love to know how the community energy sector is viewed and what the parties are offering to support community ownership and community energy, before they make an informed voting choice.

We subsequently re-contacted the the Greens, Plaid Cymru, the Liberal Democrats and Labour, as the parties that responded positively, inviting their leaders to deliver keynote speeches.

The brief has been expanded to cover other policy areas of interest to Community Energy Wales.

The party leaders are asked to speak to the following points and take questions afterwards:

1. Respond to each of the policy proposals in the CEW manifesto as a package of measures to be introduced by the next Welsh government

2. Outline their views and concerns about nature and climate breakdown and explain what measures they will introduce in the next government to improve biodiversity and stem / reverse species loss.

3. Explain what they will do to create the conditions to help & support communities to build a bank of community owned assets - what is the community wealth building plan?

We are working with our member community energy businesses to host the party leaders in venues in the constituencies where they will be candidates in May.

The events:

The Green Party leader Anthony Slaughter will be speaking at the Bangladesh Centre, Riverside, Cardiff, CF11 6EP. We'll also hear from representatives from the Bengal Dragons Foundation, and their project Gwyrdd Bengla. Tickets are available here: Areithiau Arweinwyr | Leaders' Speeches Anthony Slaughter Bangladesh Centre Tickets, Thu, Feb 12, 2026 at 6:00 PM | Eventbrite

The Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth will be speaking at Canolfan Cefnfaes, Bethesda, LL57 3AD. We'll also hear from local community energy organisation Ynni Ogwen. Tickets are available here: Areithiau Arweinwyr | Leaders' Speeches Rhun ap Iorwerth Canolfan Cefnfaes Tickets, Wed, Feb 18, 2026 at 6:30 PM | Eventbrite

A speech from Liberal Democrats leader Jane Dodds will be held at Hwb y Gors, Heol y Gors, Cwmgors, Ammanford, SA18 1RF. We'll also hear from CEW members Awel Aman Tawe: Areithiau Arweinwyr | Leaders' Speeches - Jane Dodds Hwb y Gors Tickets, Thu, Feb 26, 2026 at 6:30 PM | Eventbrite

Labour date and time are TBC.

To be kept informed of upcoming CEW public events including Leaders’ speeches, our film tour in the valleys and Valleys Community Energy conference in Pontypridd on March 18th, subscribe to RhanNi - our movement of community energy champions here:

https://communityenergy.wales/rhanni