UK energy secretary Chris Huhne and Norwegian petroleum and energy minister Ola Borten Moe yesterday signed the agreement to further North Sea offshore technology and interconnection, and which also covers carbon capture and storage, oil and gas technology.
Huhne will today tell the Renewable UK conference in Manchester that the UK would become "the largest market in Europe for offshore wind energy".
He will say that the last financial year had seen almost £1.7 billion in renewable energy investment, supported by more than 9,000 jobs.
The energy secretary will also hit back at critics of wind power, calling them "an unholy alliance of short-termists, armchair engineers, climate sceptics and vested interests who are selling the UK economy short".
Dr Matthew Brown, CBI head of energy and climate change, said: "The secretary of state is right to highlight the economic opportunity for UK plc from low-carbon technologies.
"It’s vital that Government policies minimise the risk to those dependent on energy while maximising the market for low-carbon products and services."
Huhne will today tell the Renewable UK conference in Manchester that the UK would become "the largest market in Europe for offshore wind energy".
He will say that the last financial year had seen almost £1.7 billion in renewable energy investment, supported by more than 9,000 jobs.
The energy secretary will also hit back at critics of wind power, calling them "an unholy alliance of short-termists, armchair engineers, climate sceptics and vested interests who are selling the UK economy short".
Dr Matthew Brown, CBI head of energy and climate change, said: "The secretary of state is right to highlight the economic opportunity for UK plc from low-carbon technologies.
"It’s vital that Government policies minimise the risk to those dependent on energy while maximising the market for low-carbon products and services."
