Now that Brexit is official, a lot will change. The economy of the country will be more independent, but there are a lot of challenges as well. The United Kingdom has traditionally relied on the EU for workers and materials, the country will have to transition to using more services and employees domestically as well as negotiating trade deals with both EU countries and others who deal with the Union. While there will be a lot of challenges ahead, if we stay steadfast we will be able to transition the economy and put more money in the pockets of our own citizens.
Deals & Tariffs
As we go forward with Brexit, we need to negotiate well with the world. Trade deals with the EU, China, Japan, and other countries are necessary to avoid extreme tariffs on materials, services, and workers. This goes for the whole economy but is especially pertinent when it comes the energy sector. This is particularly true for the industry of renewables. The UK's green energy market has been strong, but it has slowed in recent months.
For example, the UK is the number one producer of wind industry. According to a study from renewable bodies, expertise and products are needed from abroad to keep Britain's standing in the wind farm industry. The rest of the energy industry will be challenged by tariffs, we need to get ahead of the negotiations with specific countries we do deals with.
Movement of People
German engineers are widely used in the UK's energy field, which the country will want to keep in order to remain strong in this industry. Britain also uses EU workers for lower wage jobs. There either needs to be a supplement of these workers domestically or there needs to be good negotiation. According to the site MoneyPug, which is used to compare energy tariffs, the UK has to create around 120,000 renewable energy targets by the year 2030.
Materials & Relations with Other Countries
The UK is essentially leaving its biggest trading partner. This means that the country will have to negotiate new deals with the 27 member countries. Not only will this affect the amount of workers able to come to the UK for energy jobs, it will also change the materials that can come into Britain.
Furthermore, the United Kingdom has to deal not just with EU countries but people who trade with the EU. An example of this would be cheap Chinese materials. The country has to negotiate with China for their products. The same goes for steel from Japan. A lot of negotiation will need to be done, but it's not impossible. Challenges are ahead, but there are things we can do to put the UK first and work towards not just independence but prosperity.
Future of Energy in the UK
Brexit doesn't come at the best time, but there truly was no good time. Plus, the process is slow and there will need to be a lot of negotiations with many countries. Not only can the UK do better for itself than the EU deals, we can also encourage UK citizens to get into the energy industry, whether it's as a low-level worker or a CEO.
Subsidies have been stripped back for solar, but this is just one sector of the energy industry and as we all know there isn't much sun in Britain. On the other hand, keeping our standing as the leader of wind is important. It is necessary to support not just green energy but the whole energy field. Just because we had deals already made with the EU doesn't mean that we can't negotiate better and smarter. It will be a lot of work, but it is completely within grasp.
Brexit will change a lot of things, but it will have a large impact on the energy sector. There are many tasks to be done and many details to figure out. A lot of people throw up their hands at this. Whether you like it or not, Brexit is official and the country needs to do its best for itself. Even if you hate Brexit, there is no reason to sabotage. Let's work together and be prideful of who we are and what we have.
