This week (13th May 2026) we saw King Charles III mark the start of the new parliamentary year with his address to both Houses of Parliament. His speech urged Lords and Members of the House of Commons to put renewed focus on energy, with domestic energy production and long-term energy resilience.

Joshua Robinson, Assistant Director & Head of Utility Contracts takes a closer look at what was said and shares his thoughts on what this means for energy.

What did King Charles say?

“My Government will respond to this world with strength and aim to create a country that is fair for all. My Ministers will take decisions that protect the energy, defence and economic security of the United Kingdom for the long-term.”

He continued:

“My Ministers believe that energy independence must be a long-term goal of national security and that the nation’s energy security requires long-term investment and reform, as demonstrated by recent events in the Middle East. Increased production of clean British energy will help to ensure that enemies of the United Kingdom cannot attack the economic security of the British people. My Ministers will therefore introduce an Energy Independence Bill to scale-up homegrown renewable energy and protect living standards for the long-term [Energy Independence Bill].

“My Ministers will also take forward recommendations of the Nuclear Regulatory Review and encourage a new era of British nuclear energy generation [Nuclear Regulation Bill].”

What does this mean?

Whilst the drive for clean energy is important, the ability and the willingness to bring nuclear back into the mix could see some much-needed UK based energy security return to consumers.  As evidenced in recent geopolitical events, an episode that occurs halfway across the globe can have connotations for those back in the UK.  The Nuclear Regulation Bill can tackle some of these issues by providing a UK based energy option.

It is also great to see that the longer-term aim of a focus on renewables remains, as the more variance in energy infrastructure that is available, the less opportunity of any single event sending major shockwaves through the market.  Whilst this could see some short-term pain for consumers, the ability to diversify UK energy security is a fundamental requirement to ensuring a better future.

While it's great to see strong commitment to grow the nation's energy independence, it doesn't however tackle the short-term issues such as standing charges and rising wholesale energy prices currently faced by business. Until we are able to see the full detail of the proposed changes, which will shape the future of energy, we encourage government to consider more short-term support for business.