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How has energy policy changed after Brexit?
31 January 2022
ISR Director Jim Watson and Senior Research Associate Paul Drummond have authored the Energy chapter of the new 'Doing things differently? Policy after Brexit' report, bringing together a number experts to investigate how policy and policymaking has changed in a range of sectors.
How has policy changed since Brexit? This new report from UK in a Changing Europe brings together a number experts in their respective fields to investigate how policy and policymaking have changed in a range of sectors. As part of this report, Jim Watson and Paul Drummond from the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources were asked to consider how changes to energy policy compare to what was promised before Brexit, and to discuss what further changes lie ahead. Their chapter reveals a mixed picture. Some of the promises that were made in the referendum campaign have not been delivered, particularly the abolition of VAT on energy bills. That position may change in the near future due to the imminent increases in energy bills for households. Whilst there were significant immediate costs of leaving the EU gas and electricity market, investment in electricity connections to other countries have not dried up as some predicted. The UK has also followed some EU regulations closely (e.g. for eco design) or concluded new agreements (e.g. the regulation of nuclear materials).
This is a chapter (from page 39) in a new report published by UK in a Changing Europe, a research programme funded by ESRC. The energy chapter was written by Paul Drummond and Jim Watson.