April 16, 2017
U.K.

Britain to scrap EU’s green targets post-Brexit

'It's distorting the whole energy market' Britain to scrap EU's green targets post-Brexit | By Ross Logan | Apr 15, 2017 | www.express.co.uk

The Renewable Energy Directive is thought to be among of raft of EU policies set for the post-Brexit bonfire of Brussels diktats, Government insiders have suggested.

The directive sets targets for each EU member state for the production and promotion of energy from renewable sources such as solar and wind.

Britain’s current target is to generate 15 per cent of all energy from renewable sources by 2020 – a figure it is likely to miss, resulting in fines.

Critics say the policy is distorting, as the targets only look at energy generated and not effencies made.

It’s also resulted in the Government spending billions on subsidies for wind and solar farms which are ultimately paid for by customers through energy bills.

Government insiders confirmed that the directive is likely to be scrapped in the Brexit bonfire, the Telegraph reported.

Conservative MP Owen Paterson, a former environment secretary, told the newspaper: “It’s distorting the whole energy market.

“It’s like the Sheriff of Nottingham – it transfers money from my poorest constituents to my wealthiest constituents who are putting up pointless wind turbines heavily subsidised.”

It comes after civil service documents outlining plans to ‘scale down’ Government work on climate change in favour of trade and growth were photographed on a train last week.

Foreign secretary Boris Johnson has previously called some EU regulations “burdensome” and said one of the benefits of leaving would be the power to get rid of them.

But that will take some time, as the so-called Great Repeal Bill is effectively a template for all EU laws to instantly become British, with ministers gradually eliminating and adapting the laws to suit the needs of post-Brexit Britain.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2017/04/16/britain-to-scrap-eus-green-targets-post-brexit/