UK must act now on wind energy, says influential report14 April 2009 The Institute for Public Policy Research (Ippr) has said that without a rapid expansion of offshore wind capacity the UK will struggle to achieve its legally-binding target of 15% of renewable energy from renewable sources by 2020.The report, Green Jobs: Prospects for creating jobs from offshore wind in the UK, also says that without greater Government support, the opportunity to create up to 70,000 long-term jobs in parts of the country where they are needed, and its associated export potential, will be lost. The Institute for Public Policy Research (Ippr) says that despite having the greatest offshore wind potential of any country in the world, the UK is poorly placed to benefit. Despite ambitious plans to expand offshore wind farms over the next decade, only 700 people are currently employed in the sector and there is only one UK-based factory that manufactures parts for wind turbines. Ippr says the sector needs to be given greater confidence that the ambitions for developing the UK’s offshore wind capacity will be delivered. Ippr also recommends that the UK Government learns the lesson of industrial activism from countries such as Denmark, Spain and Germany which have all been successful in developing a local onshore wind industry, the report argues for an ‘offshore wind investment programme’ to achieve this. The report argues that as well as maximising the number of jobs available, the Government also need to think more strategically about ensuring that the workforce has the right skills to take advantage of those job opportunities by assessing and addressing the shortage of engineering and manufacturing skills in the UK. The report in brief - action plan for the UK
The report also argues for an ‘offshore wind investment programme’ for the UK, to be run by the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and administered through Regional Development Agencies (RDA) and UK Trade and Investment. The programme would consist of the following elements:
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