Sustainable rural development and rural energy communities in a post-Brexit UK

Rural areas have become increasingly important for sustainable energy transition, mainly as a resource for the production of renewable energy. However, rural areas do not merely provide the land for harnessing renewable energy, such as wind energy, for the benefit of urban growth centres. In turn, both the rural economy and livelihood of rural communities are variously affected by an increased utilisation of renewable resources, too. This chapter will focus on the interrelationship between rural areas and the development of renewable energy in the UK. In doing so, it will first shed light on how the interplay between renewable energy and rural areas has been governed in the UK, with a parti…