The Impact of Brexit on Energy in the North: A Northern Energy Taskforce Working Paper

Article

The implications of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union are particularly significant for the energy sector. This uncertainty surrounding Brexit negotiations in turn raises specific regional concerns.

The North as a whole boasts 48 per cent of the UK’s renewable power, including 71 per cent of England’s biomass generation, 41 per cent of UK wind power and 40 per cent of UK installed nuclear capacity. Concerns over the retention of mechanisms and legislation that support the energy sector are therefore particularly pressing for businesses and other energy stakeholders in the North.

This short paper, prepared on behalf of the Northern Energy Taskforce, argues that if the focus on energy policy previously provided by the EU – and the financial and technical support associated with this – is to diminish, then the only way in which the UK will be able to meet its international obligations and drive forward the energy sector in the North will be through the development of a long-term, coherent industrial strategy.

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