Jetske is Managing Director of Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum and has decades of experience working within the Welsh sustainability sector.
She was part of the Future Generations Act’s Stakeholder Reference Group through its design phase, is part of a range of Welsh marine policy groups and has worked in both the third sector and in business, leading on stakeholder engagement and community development.
Tell us about your current role and your connection to the Welsh marine energy sector, what led you to where you are today?
I originally started at Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum (PCF) as Business Development Manager. At the time, META was still in its early days, and Marine Energy Pembrokeshire was evolving into Marine Energy Wales (MEW).
Personally, it has been a real privilege to watch MEW’s evolution and watch its network and membership grow. It started as a tiny team, and like most of PCF’s projects was born out of a need for collaboration and partnership. We may not always necessarily agree with our stakeholders, our stakeholders don’t always agree with each other but being that facilitator and bringing people together to tackle shared challenges is absolutely what MEW and PCF is all about.
Looking back over the last 10 years of the sector, what do you think has changed the most?
In terms of the MEW network, it has certainly grown and become more diverse, which is a great thing. It’s refreshing not to know every single person at an event by name or face, and that in itself is proof of the growth of the sector.
Having said that, it’s fantastic that we still have the stalwarts of the sector who know its history in Wales and can bring their extensive expertise and experience to the table.
Has there been a moment in the last decade that made you stop and think, “this industry is actually happening?”
Hearing young people talking about wanting to work in the marine energy sector, and the fact that they can now see a potential future career in it is positive and really shows that the industry is moving from aspiration to reality. We need to make sure it happens and that these young people get the jobs they need.Ten years ago, I don’t think the opportunity would really have registered.
The wider work PCF does around marine energy engagement is really important in that respect too.
Have there been any tough moments or big challenges for the sector or for you personally during your career? if so what did they teach you?
Personally, as a generalist, working across the different technologies can be challenging. From an MEW perspective, managing different priorities can also be difficult, and sometimes difficult conversations need to be had, but our role is to facilitate these conversations and hopefully reach a positive and constructive outcome.
In your opinion, what’s still holding the marine energy sector back today and what are the biggest challenges it still faces?
In terms of the technology itself, building something entirely new in such a dynamic and unforgiving marine environment obviously presents numerous challenges, and at the same time, you’re battling with a seemingly ever-changing political landscape.
It’s an incredibly challenging environment all round, but there’s plenty of innovation within Wales and within the sector, and there’s some incredibly passionate and determined people who are willing to make this happen and come up with clever solutions.
“MEW is a small crew with limited resources, but we’re constantly delivering at a rate that would challenge organisations twice as big.”
What role has Marine Energy Wales played in your own career or organisation and for the wider industry?
From an industry-wide perspective, I feel like the MEW team has always punched well above its weight. We’re a small crew with limited resources, but we’re constantly delivering at a rate that would challenge organisations that are twice as big and providing much needed steadiness for the sector.
What does Marine Energy Wales do that people in the industry might not see or fully appreciate?
I love this question, because I’m not sure if people realise how much of a family this sector is. Despite the seriousness; the politics, technical development, consenting etc, Marine Energy Wales continues to create a safe space for people to come together. Without it, I think the industry would be much more fragmented and possibly not much would be happening in Wales in terms of marine renewables.
Throughout my time at PCF and MEW, there have of course been difficult conversations. I remember former First Minister Eluned Morgan coming to visit us in one of her previous ministerial roles. We were told she didn’t believe in marine energy, and that if we wanted it to be a priority for government, it was up to us to have that difficult conversation. We pulled in some of our advisory board members, some of whom travelled a long way, and we helped convince her of why marine energy matters.
These types of conversations could have gone either way, but it’s our job to try and change the outcome and shape thinking.
if someone reads this article in 2036, what do you hope they’ll say about what the sector has achieved? What are your hopes for the next 10 years?
By then I hope the tidal arrays in North Wales and floating turbines in the Celtic Sea have become part of everyday life in terms of energy generation, powering Welsh homes.
I hope by then Wales’s potential will have turned into practice, we have a thriving marine environment and that our communities are content and, ideally, proud of what this country has achieved.