The study – published by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and industry body RenewableUK – is a welcome boost for the sector, which is under ongoing pressure from unfriendly elements among the nation’s politicians and media.

A tripling of onshore capacity to the 13GW envisaged under the UK’s renewable energy roadmap for 2020 could increase the benefit to about 11,600 jobs and a £780m contribution to the economy, the report claims.

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