Growing energy cooperation between EU and UK defies worst of Brexit fallout

(Clean Energy Wire, 1 Sep 2022) Energy policy links between the UK and the European Union have remained strong since the UK officially left the bloc in January 2020, in contrast to complications in many other policy areas. A new renewable power interconnector project between Germany and the UK illustrates that they even continue to grow.

The energy crisis engulfing Europe has pushed energy cooperation to the top of many governments’ agendas as a matter of national security, with the UK and Germany being no exception. The construction of further electricity connections in the coming years could prove vital for unlocking the full potential of renewable power on both sides of the English Channel, benefitting both regions, according to experts.

Energy issues have been at the centre of discussions ever since debates about the potential effects of Brexit started. Six years after the narrow British vote to end its EU membership, and over two and a half years since the UK’s official departure from the bloc, joint energy strategies are considered crucial by both regions – not least because Russia’s war on Ukraine and its effects on energy markets illustrate what is at stake. However, this does not mean the countries’ energy ties have not become more complicated since the UK’s exit.

“It is a different relationship. It’s now underpinned by different rules”, energy and transport officer Sara Lines from the British Embassy told CLEW.

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Clean Energy Wire, 1 Sep 2022: Growing energy cooperation between EU and UK defies worst of Brexit fallout