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London, England (CNN) -- Britain is about to have a massive expansion in renewable energy after awarding licenses for nine offshore wind farms Friday.
The energy generated from the new wind farms will provide a quarter of Britain's electricity needs by 2020, according to the Crown Estate, which awarded the contracts.
Companies had bid for the right to build wind farms in nine zones around Britain, from the English Channel to the North Sea off Scotland. The successful bidders must now plan their projects and receive approval before they can build.
"Our island has one of the best wind energy resources in Europe and today's news shows we're creating the right conditions for the energy industry to invest in harnessing it," said British Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.
The wind farms will be able to offer 32 gigawatts, or about a quarter of Britain's electricity needs, said Roger Bright, chief executive of the Crown Estate.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the expansion could provide as many as 70,000 jobs by 2020. He promised to remove any barriers to rapid development.