MPs have called for an investigation on whether water in former coal pits could be used to provide green energy.
The all-party parliamentary group on coalfield communities will examine whether mine water can be used for cheap heating through geothermal power.
It is among a series of recommendations from the cross-party panel’s latest report, Next Steps in Levelling-Up the Former Coalfields.
It says the plan could provide a sustainable and reliable, low-cost warmth for communities in the former coalfields with little or no carbon footprint and could provide higher-skilled employment opportunities.
The report says 5.7 million people live in former coalfields, concentrated in areas such as the Welsh Valleys, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, County Durham, Northumberland and parts of Staffordshire.
The parliamentary group's chairwoman Alex Davies-Jones, MP for Pontypridd, said: 'This report is a milestone in our efforts to level up the former coalfields.
'The pit closures of the 1980s and 90s destroyed the economic base of too many places – picking up the pieces was never going to be easy.
'There has been real progress but this has often been too slow.
'We welcome the Government’s commitment to levelling-up.
'This now needs to be matched by actions based on our report’s recommendations.'
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