You shouldn’t have to leave your hometown just to find a decent job. That’s why this Government is doubling down on clean energy: to create 400,000 jobs – in every town, city, region and nation of this country. This includes 20,000 clean energy jobs in the North East with a generation of local young people set to benefit.

The first-of-a-kind, Clean Energy Jobs Plan shows how trades such as plumbing, welding and electrification will become a key focus of the economy.  The plan will make sure that clean energy jobs are always good jobs, by ensuring companies receiving public grants and contracts must create jobs with decent pay, access to trade unions and strong rights at work.

For too long our communities have been calling for the next generation of good jobs for our children and grandchildren. This plan answers that call – showing how we can rebuild our communities by creating well paid jobs that you don’t have to leave your hometown for.

The drive for clean energy jobs in the region is timely, coming alongside the Tyne Crossing Strategic Replacement project which is set to remove the existing overhead electricity lines across the River Tyne between Jarrow and Wallsend, replacing them with an underground tunnel of around 1.6km.  Currently, overhead electricity cables which cross the Tyne stand in the way of development on either bank of the river.

This massively exciting project will help unlock new opportunities for clean energy growth, job creation and investment in the region.

I look forward to working closely with partners as the scheme progresses.