Minister hails green jobs boost for region

Almost 4,000 jobs have been created in Yorkshire since 2010 through an enormous investment drive in the region’s green energy industry, the Government has revealed.

Energy Secretary Ed Davey said nearly £3bn had been invested in Yorkshire’s renewables sector since the Coalition came to power – the second-highest figure of any region in England.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But the figure is just a fraction of the investment enjoyed by Scotland over the same time period, the data released by the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) revealed.

North of the border more than £13bn has been invested in green energy since 2010, DECC said, potentially supporting more than 9,100 jobs.

Green energy is seen as one of the key hopes for Yorkshire’s long-term industrial future, through emerging technologies such as offshore wind, carbon capture and storage (CCS) and biomass.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But the region faces stiff competition from Scotland which also hopes to capitalise on the burgeoning sector at ports sites all along its North Sea coast.

Speaking in Aberdeen yesterday, Mr Davey emphasised the vast potential of the UK’s green energy as he told delegates he has visited Scotland nine times in the 16 months since he was made Energy Secretary – including five trips to the granite city alone

“New research by my Department estimates that, since 2010, across the UK, over £29bn of private sector investment in renewables has been announced supporting almost 30,000 jobs,” he said.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Many of these jobs are highly-skilled and well-paid positions, and employees can be proud to be a part of securing the UK’s energy supply.

“The commitment of the UK Government to a vision of a low carbon future is building up a bow wave of new jobs and investment in the economy.”