THE North-East has won a bid for a pilot scheme to raise the profile of renewable energy and promote best practice.

The bid, by the North-East Assembly, was selected ahead of four others from different parts of the country by the Energy Savings Trust, set up by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Co-ordinator Stephen Calvert said: "The aim is to work with North-East businesses and local government to raise the profile of sustainable energy.

"We will be linking with Energy Efficiency advice centres and other bodies and establishing examples of good practice that could be used as a model for other regions."

The North-East is already host to the UK's first operational offshore wind farm off Blyth, Northumberland.

A number of other renewable energy projects are also up and running in the region.

Mr Calvert said: "It is important that we make the most effective use of all our energy to enable the maximum benefit in reduced greenhouse gases to be gained."

The Government has set a target of 20 per cent of all electricity coming from renewable sources by 2020.