In the last financial year, renewable energy companies unveiled plans to invest nearly £7bn across the UK, potentially creating more than 20,000 energy jobs, according to new government figures.
Hugh McNeal, chief executive of the Office for Renewable Energy Deployment at the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), announced the results of an information-gathering exercise today, including a map revealing Scotland and Yorkshire as key hotspots for clean energy investments.
The figures showed that green energy announcements between 1 April 2011 and 31 March 2012 for confirmed investments totalled £3.75bn, creating 7,800 energy jobs. Companies also announced another £3.19bn of planned green investments during that period, potentially creating 13,000 jobs.
McNeal said there was a further £10.9bn of projects in the scoping stage that could support 18,000 jobs in the coming years if they were taken forward.
