English: Bethesda. However, as in the rest of Wales, hydro is simply not flourishing. 'Why?' is the question. I'm aware that the Welsh Government already offers loans, grants, and technical support for the development of hydro schemes, such as through the local energy service, the rural community development fund, and sustainable production grant scheme. All sounds very positive, but the reality is somewhat different. Now, having spoken to my constituents, I believe that some have had no choice other than to rely on bank loans to fund 100 per cent of their developments, whilst others receive a grant through Farming Connect for a service that would ultimately have been cheaper if sought independently. As put to me, all the avenues of support outlined by the Welsh Government are not encouraging, incentivising, or supporting investment in hydro by landowners. Concerningly, finance remains a barrier to the introduction of more schemes, the growth of this important renewable energy and the utilisation of our rain. Indeed, as one riparian owner explained, the cost of the schemes are just simply too prohibitive. Now, as you might be aware, the feed-in tariff scheme is ending in March. It has been a success because, through this scheme, energy suppliers have been able to make regular payments to householders and communities who generate their own electricity. Now, in the face of this loss, I am pleased that the Government has acknowledged the importance of helping to maintain a route to market for small-scale, low-carbon generation, and that it is now consulting on the smart export guarantee. Whilst looking to do more to help small hydro plants, I believe the Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales - they have a part to play in this and they could do more. For example, I know that NRW have been asking for up to £1,500 for an extraction licence - contributing to the financial whirlpool that hydro currently seems to be for many. Additionally, I know too that NRW have actually made the development of some schemes almost impossible, having demanded in one instance - now, just listen to this - that metres of trench were dug by hand. Unsurprisingly, my research has left me deeply disappointed at what seems to be an approach to hydro that just isn't inspiring investment by our riparian landowners. They could be harnessing a great, free resource: rain water. This can be changed, by enabling hydro to flourish, through: introducing a hydropower development programme that provides a 50 per cent grant towards the total build cost of future hydropower schemes and a 75 per cent grant towards the cost of the consenting of future schemes; providing incentives to invest in infrastructure, such as loans for equipment to be paid off over longer timescales, in line with the lifetime of the asset. Also, they could be inviting landowners to register an interest in developing a scheme, and in return, where reasonable, receive a free feasibility study long before investment takes place, or them having to put money into pursuing design, planning, or licences. Now, with regard to the latter point, you will be aware that planning authorities are expected to assess the opportunities for renewable and low-carbon energy in their area, and use the evidence to establish special policies in their development plan that identify the most appropriate locations for development. I have had a closer look at how they are expected to do this and have found that there is a particular emphasis on previous studies. Whilst this is reasonable, I believe that more could be achieved by inviting our landowners to work with Government to co-operate. Surely, this would be a positive step that would significantly help Wales to see and use the greater utilisation of rain. What I am asking for requires quite a simple vision, one that I think we can all unite on: the need to create a greener and more resilient Wales. This is true down to each of our homes, where, I'm sad to say, most of us do not make the most of our rain. This brings me to the final step that I think we ought to be considering to ensure that we are making the most of rain water. This is something that we have right here in this building: a rain-harvesting scheme, seeing water collected from the main roofs, stored in two 50,000-litre tanks for use in this building. For example, it has seen rain water utilised for flushing WCs, irrigation, and maintenance, resulting in the demand for water being cut to a minimum. Some of the other advantages of harvesting rain include the possibility of using this water for feeding animals, watering plants, heating systems, combating flooding and, most of all, tackling the increasing cost of utility bills, which, including the rise in the average water and sewage bill in Wales, is now around £439 in the last financial year. When considering that harvesting systems can work off the roofs of almost all our homes, I think it a shame that there are only a few quotable examples. The reason for this might be the fact that there does not seem to be any support for rain water harvesting schemes in Wales. Indeed, the closest source of help offered by the Welsh Government is for land managers and farm businesses to acquire and install their own new rain water goods, be they guttering or downpipes. In my opinion, this situation is ludicrous, as what we are seeing is the Welsh Government simply paying for rain to go down the drain. Do you not agree that it would make sense to help fund those harvesting schemes too? I want to close my contribution, which I hope has consisted of an important vision for Wales, and one that is achievable, if there is the ambition, if there is the aspiration, and if there is the drive. And I do like to surprise, so I'm going to say a Welsh quote from the most famous Welsh song:
Welsh: Bethesda. Fodd bynnag, yng ngweddill Cymru, nid yw ynni dŵr yn ffynnu. 'Pam?' yw'r cwestiwn. Rwy'n ymwybodol fod Llywodraeth Cymru eisoes yn cynnig benthyciadau, grantiau a chymorth technegol ar gyfer datblygu cynlluniau ynni dŵr, megis drwy'r gwasanaeth ynni lleol, y gronfa datblygu cymunedau gwledig, a'r cynllun grant cynhyrchu cynaliadwy. Mae'n swnio'n gadarnhaol iawn, ond mae'r realiti ychydig yn wahanol. Nawr, ar ôl siarad â fy etholwyr, rwy'n credu bod rhai heb gael dewis heblaw dibynnu ar fenthyciadau banc i ariannu 100 y cant o'u datblygiadau, tra bod eraill yn derbyn grant drwy Cyswllt Ffermio ar gyfer gwasanaeth a fyddai wedi bod yn rhatach yn y pen draw pe baent wedi mynd ati'n annibynnol i'w ddarparu. Fel y cafodd ei roi i mi, nid oes yr un o'r holl ffyrdd o gael cymorth a amlinellir gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn annog, cymell neu gefnogi buddsoddiad mewn ynni dŵr gan dirfeddianwyr. Mae'n ofid fod cyllid yn parhau i rwystro pobl rhag cyflwyno mwy o gynlluniau, twf yr ynni adnewyddadwy pwysig hwn a'r defnydd o'n glaw. Yn wir, fel yr eglurodd un perchennog glannau afon, mae cost y cynlluniau'n rhy uchel. Nawr, fel y gwyddoch efallai, mae'r cynllun tariff cyflenwi trydan yn dod i ben ym mis Mawrth. Bu'n llwyddiant oherwydd bod cyflenwyr ynni, drwy'r cynllun hwn, wedi gallu gwneud taliadau rheolaidd i ddeiliaid tai a chymunedau sy'n cynhyrchu eu trydan eu hunain. Nawr, yn wyneb y golled hon, rwy'n falch fod y Llywodraeth wedi cydnabod pwysigrwydd helpu i gynnal llwybr i'r farchnad ar gyfer cynhyrchiant carbon isel ar raddfa fach, a'i bod bellach yn ymgynghori ar y warant allforio doeth. Wrth geisio gwneud mwy i helpu safleoedd ynni dŵr bach, credaf y dylai Llywodraeth Cymru a Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru - mae ganddynt ran i'w chwarae yn hyn a gallent wneud mwy. Er enghraifft, gwn fod Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru wedi bod yn gofyn am hyd at £1,500 am drwydded echdynnu - gan gyfrannu at y pwll tro ariannol y mae llawer yn tybio yw ynni dŵr ar hyn o bryd. Gwn hefyd fod Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru wedi gwneud y gwaith o ddatblygu rhai cynlluniau bron yn amhosibl, ar ôl mynnu mewn un achos - nawr, gwrandewch ar hyn - fod metrau o ffos yn cael eu cloddio â llaw. Nid yw'n syndod fod fy ymchwil wedi fy ngwneud yn siomedig iawn ynglŷn â'r ymagwedd ymddangosiadol tuag at ynni dŵr nad yw'n ysbrydoli ein tirfeddianwyr glannau afon i fuddsoddi. Gallent fod yn harneisio adnodd gwych, rhad ac am ddim: dŵr glaw. Gellir newid hyn drwy alluogi ynni dŵr i ffynnu drwy: gyflwyno rhaglen datblygu ynni dŵr sy'n darparu grant o 50 y cant tuag at gyfanswm y gost o adeiladu cynlluniau ynni dŵr yn y dyfodol a grant o 75 y cant tuag at y gost o roi caniatâd i gynlluniau yn y dyfodol; darparu cymhellion i fuddsoddi mewn seilwaith, megis benthyciadau ar gyfer offer i'w talu dros gyfnodau hwy o amser, i gyd-fynd â hyd oes yr ased. Hefyd, gallent fod yn gwahodd tirfeddianwyr i fynegi diddordeb mewn datblygu cynllun, ac yn gyfnewid, lle y bo hynny'n rhesymol, gallent gael astudiaeth ddichonoldeb yn rhad ac am ddim ymhell cyn i fuddsoddi ddigwydd, neu cyn iddynt orfod rhoi arian tuag at ddylunio, cynlluniau neu drwyddedau. Nawr, o ran y pwynt olaf, fe fyddwch yn ymwybodol fod disgwyl i awdurdodau cynllunio asesu'r cyfleoedd ar gyfer ynni adnewyddadwy ac ynni carbon isel yn eu hardal, a defnyddio'r dystiolaeth i sefydlu polisïau arbennig yn eu cynllun datblygu sy'n nodi'r lleoliadau mwyaf priodol ar gyfer datblygu. Rwyf wedi edrych yn agosach ar sut y mae disgwyl iddynt wneud hyn ac wedi gweld bod pwyslais arbennig ar astudiaethau blaenorol. Er bod hyn yn rhesymol, credaf y gellid cyflawni mwy drwy wahodd ein tirfeddianwyr i weithio gyda'r Llywodraeth a chydweithredu. Yn sicr, byddai hwn yn gam cadarnhaol a fyddai'n helpu Cymru'n sylweddol i weld a gwneud mwy o ddefnydd o law. Mae'r hyn rwy'n gofyn amdano'n galw am weledigaeth go syml, un y credaf y gallwn i gyd gytuno arni: yr angen i greu Cymru fwy gwyrdd a mwy gwydn. Mae hyn yn wir i lawr i lefel pob un o'n cartrefi, lle mae arnaf ofn nad yw'r rhan fwyaf ohonom yn gwneud y mwyaf o'n glaw. Daw hyn â mi at y cam olaf y credaf y dylem ei ystyried i sicrhau ein bod yn gwneud y gorau o ddŵr glaw. Mae'n rhywbeth sydd gennym yma yn yr adeilad hwn: cynllun casglu dŵr glaw, sy'n golygu bod dŵr glaw yn cael ei gasglu oddi ar y prif doeau, ei storio mewn dau danc 50,000 litr a'i ddefnyddio yn yr adeilad hwn. Er enghraifft, gwelwyd defnydd o ddŵr glaw i fflysio toiledau, i ddyfrhau a chynnal a chadw, gan arwain at dorri'r galw am ddŵr i gyn lleied â phosibl. Mae rhai o fanteision eraill casglu dŵr glaw yn cynnwys y posibilrwydd o ddefnyddio'r dŵr ar gyfer bwydo anifeiliaid, dyfrio planhigion, systemau gwresogi, gwrthsefyll llifogydd ac yn bennaf oll, er mwyn talu costau cynyddol biliau cyfleustodau, sydd bellach, o gynnwys y codiad yn y bil dŵr a charthfosiaeth cyfartalog yng Nghymru, oddeutu £439 yn y flwyddyn arannol ddiwethaf. Wrth ystyried y gall systemau casglu dŵr weithio oddi ar doeau bron bob un o'n cartrefi, credaf ei bod yn drueni na cheir fawr o enghreifftiau y gellir cyfeirio atynt. Y rheswm am hyn o bosibl yw'r ffaith nad yw'n ymddangos bod unrhyw gefnogaeth ar gael ar gyfer cynlluniau casglu dŵr glaw yng Nghymru. Yn wir, mae'r ffynhonnell agosaf o gymorth a gynigir gan Lywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer rheolwyr tir a busnesau fferm i gaffael a gosod eu nwyddau dŵr glaw newydd eu hunain, boed yn gafnau neu bibellau dŵr. Yn fy marn i, mae'r sefyllfa hon yn chwerthinllyd, gan mai'r hyn a welwn yw Llywodraeth Cymru yn talu i law fynd i lawr y draen. Onid ydych yn cytuno y byddai'n gwneud synnwyr i helpu i ariannu'r cynlluniau casglu dŵr glaw hynny hefyd? Hoffwn gloi fy nghyfraniad - a gobeithiaf ei fod wedi darparu gweledigaeth bwysig ar gyfer Cymru, ac un y gellir ei chyflawni, os oes uchelgais, os oes dyhead, ac os oes ysgogiad. Ac rwy'n hoff o roi sypreisys, felly rwy'n mynd i ddyfynnu o gân Gymraeg enwog iawn: