Renewables made up 48% of Welsh electricity use in 2017

Almost half of Wales' electricity consumption last year came from renewable sources, according to a new report.

The Welsh Government has set a 70% renewable electricity target by 2030.

The equivalent of 48% of the electricity used in 2017 came from renewable sources, up 5% from 2016.

But the Energy Generation in Wales 2017 report shows a "significant slowing" of the renewable electricity installation rate, down 8% from 21% in 2016.

The report said that Wales generated more than twice what it consumed in electricity last year, with the surplus exported to England, Ireland and the European network.

Of that total figure of electricity generated, 22% actually came from renewable sources, up from 18% in 2016.

Fossil fuel plants generated 78% of the total, the bulk from gas-fired power stations.

Environment Secretary Lesley Griffiths said the report shows "impressive progress over the last year".

She has also set a target for one gigawatt generated by locally owned renewable electricity and an expectation that all projects should have at least an element of local ownership by 2020.

The report said the Welsh Government was supporting a number of projects to try and create more locally owned energy developments including Gower Regeneration's one megawatt (MW) solar farm at Dunvant.

It said there are over 63,000 locally-owned renewable energy projects with a total capacity of 750 MW, up 30% from 2016.

Ms Griffiths said: "With nearly half of our electricity consumption coming from renewable sources, as well as us being over half of the way to meeting our target for renewable electricity capacity in local ownership, we are seeing the huge steps made by the sector."