Dear Editor,

Mr Jenkins (letters, July 19) describes Pembroke Power Station as “fantastic” while once again attacking renewable energy. What is fantastical about the power station is that it enables wealth to be transferred from all us local electricity bill payers almost directly to the Emir of Qatar, and practically nobody raises an eyebrow at this huge act of reverse Robin Hoodery. 

The Emir’s gas powers the station, so while we are paying exorbitant energy bills we can rest safe in the knowledge that our money is being used wisely for whatever he fancies, whether that is bringing the World Cup to the desert in winter or treating construction workers appallingly. The station is also “fantastic” at making the South Wales grid region the most polluting in the whole of the UK in relation to carbon emissions – you only have to check the NG ESO app regularly to see this. By contrast, community owned wind turbines in Pembrokeshire, that have been promoted by the Welsh Government, are producing carbon neutral electricity, creating local jobs and investing financial surplus back into the county by, among many other things: combating fuel poverty and supporting local football clubs. 

Ahead of construction, I was among others who protested against the Pembroke Power Station’s extremely poor design, which dumps huge amounts of energy into the Haven rather than capturing it to heat people’s homes. We were told then that this waste was justified for the benefit of local jobs. Imagine our disappointment to hear that illegal migrants rather than local workers were used during its construction. The contrast is stark: the UK Government enabled the wasteful, polluting Pembroke Power Station that takes what little money struggling households have and passes it on to a profligate, de facto dictator, whereas the Welsh Government helps give power back to local people.

Daniel Blackburn,

Tegryn.