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A new bill being put to Senedd Members has been hailed as an “important step” towards achieving renewable energy targets.

The new Infrastructure (Wales) Bill will create “a modern and simplified regime” for major infrastructure projects to be given consent, according to Wales’ climate change minister, Julie James.

Ms James said: “Having an efficient and effective consenting regime is vital to the timely delivery of important infrastructure projects in Wales that make a positive contribution towards our social, economic and environmental prosperity and net zero ambitions.

“As well as helping improve the competitiveness of Wales and position us as an attractive place for investment and jobs, it will offer our local communities the opportunity to engage in an open and transparent consenting process to help shape developments which affect them.”

The Welsh Government said the bill has been developed to streamline the way developers can access permissions, consents, licences and other requirements needed, as well as a “transparent, thorough and consistent” process to help communities engage with the decisions impacting them.

Ms James explained how the need for this bill has come about following the Wales Act 2017. This saw powers to consent energy generating projects, overhead electric lines, ports, harbours and more devolved to the Welsh Government from Westminster.

She continued: “As a consequence of the way these powers were devolved, we have been placed into older and outdated consenting processes by the UK Government which are not fit for purpose.

“This has put us at a disadvantage compared to other countries in the United Kingdom.”

The minister said the bill will include “nationally significant” projects where Welsh ministers currently have responsibility for consenting.

“By replacing multiple consenting processes with a single process, we will help attract the essential investment we need, particularly in the renewable energy sector,” Ms James added.