More than 2,250 jobs have been created in the UK’s wind power sector in the past year, according to the industry.
The number of people directly employed in the medium and large-scale sectors of the onshore and offshore wind industry has risen by 8% to more than 15,400 full-time jobs, a report by industry body RenewableUK said.
The number of indirect jobs, such as supplying components, has also increased by 8% since September 2013, to almost 15,000 jobs, bringing the total number of people whose livelihood is from the sector to more than 30,400, the report said.
Most of the jobs require qualifications in science, technology, engineering and maths, and more than 2,250 direct and indirect jobs in offshore and onshore wind have been created in just over 12 months.
The annual study from RenewableUK also shows that new onshore wind farms have delivered £1.6 billion of investment in 12 months, while investment in offshore wind was £1 billion.
Since local authorities were able to keep business rates from new onshore wind projects in April 2013, English onshore wind projects now contribute £5.9 million a year to councils.
RenewableUK’s chief executive Maria McCaffery said: “Nearly two-and-a-half thousand people have joined the UK wind industry’s dynamic, highly motivated workforce over the last year.
“That’s a growth rate that most other sectors can only dream of – renewables is the employment engine of the future.”
But she warned the industry still faced numerous challenges.
“The growth of the most cost-effective of all renewable technologies, onshore wind, is threatened with extinction by the Conservatives’ misguided policy of ending all future support for it.
“The Tories are way out of step with the two-thirds majority of the public which consistently supports onshore wind.
“Politicians need to get behind the many thousands of people doing their bit to make onshore and offshore renewables a UK success story. Instead of standing in the way they should let the new faces of wind energy do their job for the sake of the nation.”
Liberal Democrat Energy and Climate Change Secretary Edward Davey said: “The energy sector is powering Britain’s economic recovery – and the jobs created in the wind industry show why Britain’s the global number one for offshore wind capacity and investment.
“Our historic electricity reforms allow us to build on that success, supporting a diverse energy mix that promotes renewables alongside other low-carbon technologies to make sure that we’re keeping the lights on with secure, clean, home-grown electricity.”
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