The South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) is spearheading a push to develop a strategy to help ease a future energy crisis.

It is working with three Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) to come up with a plan and projects to ensure the region has secure, sustainable and affordable energy supplies.

Key is to ensure there is competitively priced energy for businesses and households to support economic growth, with energy companies employing new technology and reducing carbon emissions.

SELEP is working with Coast to Capital and Enterprise M3 LEPs to create what will be known as the South2East Energy Strategy and Action Plan.

Christian Brodie, SELEP chairman, explained: "The trilemma of achieving energy security, energy equity and environmental sustainability is a hugely complex issue and requires us to focus on how we generate and use energy for power, heat and transport.

“The energy network involves public and private sectors, government departments and regulators. When combined with economic and social factors, national resources, environmental concerns, and individual behaviours, it’s clear that we needed to engage with energy experts in the business community.

“Thanks to the insight of over 100 businesses, organisations and individuals we are now well placed to develop a strategy for the south east based on a detailed understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing the region.

“It will consider energy and low carbon priorities, as well as tackling emissions and how best to fund our low carbon projects of the future.”

A number of workshops have already been staged to discuss the issues, and more are planned.

The draft South2East Energy strategy will be launched later this year at events across the three LEP areas.

SELEP is a business-led organisation championing economic growth in Kent, Medway, Essex, East Sussex, Southend and Thurrock.