The UK purchased a record £3.5 billion ($4.4 billion) in electricity from EU countries last year as renewable energy failed to meet demand following the shutdown of coal and nuclear power plants, according to The Telegraph, citing London Stock Exchange (LSEG) Power Research.
Electricity imports from France, Norway, Belgium, and the Netherlands amounted for 12% of net supply, according to the outlet. According to the figures, France sold approximately £1.5 billion of power to the UK in the fiscal year ending November 30, while Norway sold approximately £500 million.
The electricity is brought to the UK via a growing network of interconnector cables designed to boost the collective resilience and energy security of neighboring countries, according to the outlet. “But closures of British power stations mean the traffic is increasingly one-way with the UK instead becoming dependent on its neighbors,” The Telegraph wrote.
Angus MacNeil, who heads up a parliamentary energy security committee, echoed these concerns, telling the outlet: “The French will be rubbing their hands – it’s easy money for them.” He added that “the ideal is for the flows to be neutral overall in terms of both the flows of power and of money.”
The recent shutdown of coal-fired and nuclear power plants have significantly reduced Britain’s ability to generate electricity. Meanwhile, wind and solar farms have not produced enough electricity to meet rising demand. According to Met Office data, wind speeds were lower than the 20-year average for nearly the whole year.
