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PRIVACY
Economic Development

New green energy strategy launched for West Midlands

Long-term hope is it will generate cheaper energy bills for residents and businesses and create thousands of jobs

(Image: Surrey County Council)

A new strategy has been unveiled with the aim of making the West Midlands a national leader in smart energy.

The long-term hope is that it will generate cheaper energy bills for residents and businesses and create thousands of new green jobs.

The new 'Regional Energy Strategy' outlines the powers and funding needed to introduce cutting-edge technology that will transform the way energy is generated, stored and used.

It also looks at the adoption of smart, innovative solutions to help residents and businesses become more energy resilient while speeding up the transition to net zero.

Key ambitions include using storage to save excess energy during times of low demand, developing efficient heat networks for entire neighbourhoods and more small-scale renewable energy projects such as solar panels on roofs and battery storage hubs in locations of high demand.

The West Midlands is already part of a national pilot with the National Grid that aims to streamline planning for energy, transport and development.

A training and upskilling programme will be created with industry leaders to make sure local people have the practical skills and technical knowledge needed to get jobs in the energy sector.