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Harnessing the power of the waves, sun and wind across the Westcountry is considered key to building the region's future economy.
But Energy Secretary Ed Miliband told the Western Morning News that an incoming Conservative government dominated by climate sceptics would tear up the agencies vital to investment in renewables technology and pose a "very significant" threat to thousands of jobs expected in the green energy industry by 2020.
Gordon Brown yesterday also warned his "novice" rivals could not be trusted to run the economy as he vowed to fight "as though my life depended upon it" to secure the return of a Labour government.
Mr Brown seized on official figures showing the economy grew by 0.2 per cent in the first three months of the year to declare the "recovery is definitely under way".
But the main parties have clashed on how best to ensure the well-paid, high-skilled jobs of the future emerge from the wreckage of the recession.
Mr Miliband, campaigning in Exeter with fellow Cabinet minister Ben Bradshaw yesterday, said: "I think there is a really inspiring vision here, not only in tackling climate change but also creating jobs of the future, whether that's through marine generation, offshore wind, solar panels and so on.
"But it does require a government that is willing to make the investment necessary, willing to work with agencies like the regional development agency. Those plans are at serious risk if the Conservatives become the government."
Launching a strident attack on his opponents' green credentials, he added: "The Conservative party is full of climate sceptics. And what's even worse is at the heart of the shadow cabinet is Ken Clarke who is someone who said we should not have any on-shore wind farms."
Mr Clarke, shadow business secretary, told a conference in October that mainland Britain was "not suitable" for onshore wind farms. He later retracted the remarks after being slapped down by David Cameron.
But Mr Miliband said the comments raised "fundamental questions about jobs in green industries".
Mr Miliband met with several firms based at the Innovation Centre at the University of Exeter. They included Rachel White from recruitment websites greenjob.co.uk and lowcarbon.com, Dr David Santillo from Greenpeace Research Laboratories and Jock Campbell, a policy and planning expert from IMM Ltd.
Experts have suggested some 50,000 new jobs could potentially be created in the wind industry in the UK. Ministers are also excited about the potential of Cornwall's wave hub project and are exploring ways to generate power from the Severn.
Mr Miliband said the election remained "wide open". "If you don't want David Cameron to be in government, you have to vote Labour in areas like Exeter. Otherwise there is a danger the Conservatives get in by the backdoor."
Mr Brown has made clear that he intends to make his experience in handling the economy a key factor in the final two weeks of campaigning before polling day on May 6 when he said: "I believe that there is one leader in this campaign with the experience, the judgment, the record and the team to be trusted with the recovery. That is why I will fight as though my life depended upon it to win the argument and to win the support needed to get a majority Labour government."
However, shadow children's secretary Michael Gove said that Labour had "forfeited the right to govern" through their use of scare tactics to misrepresent Conservative policies.
"These lies you are getting from Labour are pure and simple lies," he told a news conference at Conservative headquarters in London.
Mr Cameron, who raised the issue in the angriest exchanges of Thursday night's TV debate, said that Labour should now withdraw the leaflets.
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said the second television debate – held in Bristol – had left the election race wide open, declaring: "It's wide open, anything could happen."
Unlike the first debate, when Mr Clegg emerged as the clear winner, a clutch of instant polls after Thursday's 90-minute head-to-head suggested that none of the leaders had scored an outright victory. A Sky News poll of polls had the Tory and Lib Dem leaders tied with an average of 33 per cent against the Prime Minister on 27 per cent.
Jim Knight, Labour's South West minister, said Mr Brown was "the clear winner".
