A series of sustainable power and energy efficiency projects could be in line to receive money from the European Union's (EU's) New Entrant Reserve Fund (NER) and hire engineers who have completed renewable energy courses.
According to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), 12 applications have been submitted to the European Investment Bank for consideration.
If the initiatives are successful, it would increase the budgets available to firms that may take on technicians who have completed renewable energy courses.
Energy minister Charles Hendry said: "I am very encouraged by the strength and breadth of the UK applications for this round of NER funding, with all the projects received by DECC meeting the eligibility criteria."
Seven of the 12 projects involve carbon capture and storage, while five relate to sustainable energy such as wind, wave and tidal power.
This week, the DECC also announced its intention to get tough on landlords whose properties are not sufficiently energy efficient.
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