Brexit and Its Impact on Green Energy Projects

Brexit is official and it will continue to change things in and out of the country. A lot will be more difficult, but the renewable energy industry will likely be impacted the most. Many sectors will be negatively affected, but with the standing of the UK as one of the top green energy producers it will be difficult to maintain.

The United Kingdom is currently the leader in wind power, although this might not last. Much of the UK moving away from fossil fuels comes from cooperation with the EU. This is because the industry relies on German engineers and materials from abroad. Wind isn't the only industry of renewable that will be affected by this, Brexit will change a lot of things.

New Tariffs & Regulation
In the European Union, there is a lot free movement of people and goods. This won't last with the UK leaving the EU, a carefully planned trade deal is necessary. New tariffs will be imposed on the workers and materials from the EU. For example, German engineers are needed for the wind industry in the UK. Solar and hydro will also be affected, with less people coming to work in the UK both people and materials will have to go through many more processes and regulations.

Green Energy Jobs
Since the United Kingdom is leaving its largest trading partner in the EU, the 27 member countries will not freely move goods, people, services, and capital between the UK and Europe. Not only will the country have to strike deals with each country on visas and trade, the UK will have to create 120,000 jobs in renewable energy by 2030 in order to meet the targets on green power.

Current Renewable Stats
At the present moment, the United Kingdom is a world leader in green energy. It has worked well for Britain. In 2019, the country generated half of its electricity from sources that don't use fossil fuels according to one of the best energy comparison sites MoneyPug.

The UK didn't get this way by being insular, it has used foreign workers and materials to get to this place. There are concerns that Britain will fall behind in their renewable development because they will need skilled workers and cheap high- quality materials to continue.

The relationship with other EU nations is not the only thing that will be changed by Brexit. Its relationships with other countries come into play. For example cheap materials from China will need to be negotiated. The same goes for steel from Japan. Since many countries do deals with the EU at large, the UK will have to barter trade deals and worker visas with countries individually.

The Future
Although the UK stands as one of the biggest producers of renewable energy in the world, Brexit comes at a pivotal moment. The industry is unstable despite the country's strong record. There has been a slow in the growth of green energy, and it will continue to slow as Brexit changes the way Britain relates to other nations.

In the UK, wind is the cheapest way of producing electricity. However, new installations of onshore wind farms declined by nearly 80 percent in the year 2018. Last year only one farm was built. Many people think this is the result of government policy.

Recently the United Kingdom's government ended subsidies for solar panels. This has led to a massive reduction in the installation of domestic solar by a stunning 94 percent. Support for renewables is waning with a conservative government and the government will have to do more for the UK to keep its standing as one of the biggest producers out there.

A lot of industries will have a hard time when it comes to Brexit, but green energy might be affected the most. It is fragile and the market fluctuates. Right now it is unstable and it will likely only get more unstable as Brexit goes from official to reality.

If you are a citizen of the UK, it might be a good time to get into the industry. Eco-friendly power and green energy in general will be needed, without a doubt. It only depends on how fast this revolution will come.

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Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler said Tuesday it aims to slash average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from new cars sold in Europe by 20 percent in 2020, as EU-wide limits bite. "This is a very big year for us and a year where we are taking electrification to the next level," chief executive Ola Kallenius said in a telephone conference. "This year alone we are looking at cutting up to 20 percent of CO2" in Europe, he added. A major pillar of Daimler's electric push is 48-volt hybrids, wi ... read more