Plans to help Cumbria capitalise on opportunities for clean energy have been revealed by the county's local enterprise partnership.

The partnership is extending the remit of its nuclear sector panel to cover the wider energy and clean growth agenda.

It set up nine sector panels – made up of business leaders and representatives from local authorities, public sector bodies and the voluntary sector – earlier this year to help deliver economic growth, productivity and prosperity within their sectors.

The newly-named clean energy and nuclear sector panel is chaired Dr Rebecca Weston, partnership board member and chief operating officer at Sellafield Ltd.

She said: “We recognise the significant opportunity for green growth and energy generation in Cumbria and wanted to extend the remit of the panel to capitalise on these opportunities and make sure that there is a body that has responsibility and focus.

“From the nuclear perspective, it importantly allows the sector to demonstrate its commitment to the low carbon energy agenda.

"The move also recognises the opportunity to develop a very strong cross-energy generation offer for Cumbria, picking up on developments in wind, tidal, biomass and hydrogen as well as nuclear and carbon storage.”

WYG, which has had a base in Cockermouth for over 30 years, has agreed to support the transition.

It has offered its local expertise to review a range of existing studies and produce an assessment of the current position to help the sector panel develop its new extended work programme.

Cumbria LEP chief executive Jo Lappin said: “We are extremely grateful to Craig Hatch and his team at WYG for their very welcome offer of help and support.

“This is an excellent example of private sector business offering to support some initial work to review the learning from a wide range of consultancy studies carried out over many years, working in partnership to support the growth of the wider sector and Cumbria’s economy more generally.

“Craig and his team will provide a platform for the work of the panel.”

Mr Hatch, WYG group managing director – management and surveying, added: “We are very pleased to provide our expertise to support Cumbria LEP on this important piece of work which will inform the future strategy for clean energy.

"Our energy director Simon Sjenitzer has gained considerable knowledge to provide the baseline assessment.”

Cumbria’s contribution to the clean growth agenda will be emphasised next week when Ms Lappin chairs one of the keynote sessions at a major energy conference.

The Energy and Clean Growth in the Northern Powerhouse Conference takes place in Hull on November 5 and 6.

The event has been organised by the NP11, a collaboration of the 11 Northern LEPs, which cover 76 local authorities.

Organisers say it will “showcase the innovation, leadership and opportunities across the North of England in energy, decarbonisation, transition and clean growth”.