Published: Wed 13 May 2026
IET reaction: King's Speech
On the path towards a more resilient and diversified UK energy mix
James Bamborough, Sustainability and Net Zero Policy Manager at the IET said: "We welcome the Government’s plan to bring forward the Energy Independence Bill during this Parliament, as announced in the King’s Speech.
"Strengthening the resilience, security and affordability of the UK’s energy system is essential for long term economic stability and national security amid continued geopolitical and market volatility.
"As the UK progresses towards Net Zero, the scale and pace of change across generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure will require careful holistic planning, investment and engineering expertise to maintain a secure and reliable electricity system. A more diverse and flexible domestic energy mix, supported by renewables, long duration storage technologies, nuclear, hydrogen and smarter grid technologies, can improve resilience to short, medium, and long term energy shocks. To succeed, these developments must be underpinned by investment in infrastructure, cyber resilience, innovation and workforce skills.
"Engineering solutions will be central to achieving these ambitions and delivering a workable and affordable energy transition. The IET will continue to work collaboratively with policymakers, regulators and industry to help deliver practical, evidence based solutions in the face of increasingly complex global headwinds."
ENDS
About the IET
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Sarah Jenkins
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E: SarahJenkins@theiet.org