Why UK must prioritise energy sovereignty above security
Stuart R Broadley HonFEI
BY STUART R. BROADLEY
“UK energy policy has long emphasised security and resilience. Diversified imports, interconnectors, and crisis plans are important — they enable flexibility, efficiency, trade, and cost optimisation, and help manage geopolitical risks. But these benefits only matter if Britain first secures sovereignty”.
UK energy policy has long emphasised security and resilience. Diversified imports, interconnectors, and crisis plans are important — they enable flexibility, efficiency, trade, and cost optimisation, and help manage geopolitical risks. But these benefits only matter if Britain first secures sovereignty. Security and resilience are tools, not substitutes for control. Energy sovereignty does not mean isolating from international energy markets or ending imports, nor does it oppose collaboration. It means having the domestic capacity and control to protect against the worst-case scenarios, ensuring that dependence cannot dictate Britain’s energy, industrial, or economic fate. Without sovereignty, security is conditional, resilience is fragile, and the country remains exposed.
Energy sovereignty does not mean self-sufficiency at all costs, withdrawal from global markets, or abandoning the UK’s legally binding 2050 net-zero commitments. It means retaining meaningful control over national infrastructure, supply chains, and domestic resources. Great British Energy embodies this approach — focusing on domestic investment, coordinated infrastructure, and the ability to make Britain’s own energy choices.
Security and resilience are still necessary. They support flexibility, trade, efficiency, and cost optimisation, and help manage geopolitical risk. But they can only deliver those benefits once sovereignty is guaranteed. Without it, security is conditional, resilience is fragile, and policy becomes reactive rather than strategic.
“Without …domestic foundations, future energy infrastructure — offshore wind, hydrogen, nuclear — would have to increasingly be supplied by global supply chains, increasing strategic vulnerability and leaving Britain increasingly dependent on external expertise for technologies critical to its energy independence”.
Supply chains and skilled jobs are deeply integrated: engineers, supply chains, ports and fab-yards, offshore workers, all are transferable between oil, gas, and other energy technologies. Prematurely exiting domestic hydrocarbons risks eroding these capabilities just as they will be needed long-term to maintain fuel sovereignty, support industrial expertise, and underpin the transition to low-carbon energy. Without these domestic foundations, future energy infrastructure — offshore wind, hydrogen, nuclear — would have to increasingly be supplied by global supply chains, increasing strategic vulnerability and leaving Britain increasingly dependent on external expertise for technologies critical to its energy independence. Maintaining a domestic oil and gas sector, alongside developing renewables, is therefore not a contradiction — it is a necessary pillar of sovereign energy policy.
Other nations understand this, like Norway and the UAE. They are protecting and reindustrialising their oil and gas sectors for the supply chain, technical expertise, and workforce foundations they provide. The UK should follow suit: protect what it has, invest in it, and leverage domestic supply chains to underpin sovereign energy policies. Delivering net zero is compelling, but it can be delivered in a more impactful and coordinated way.
The current policy mix also inflates costs unnecessarily. Today’s high energy prices reflect three factors: exposure to volatile global markets, financing uncertainty, and the high total levelised costs of decarbonisation and renewables — including grid build-out, last-mile connections, curtailment, and storage. Sovereignty can mitigate these with domestic generation stabilising prices, and predictable policies reducing financing risk. Local supply chains, under the umbrella of energy sovereignty, also make it easier to reduce energy costs by improving control over project delivery, stabilising investment, and capturing efficiencies within the domestic economy.
“The UK does not need to abandon energy security, resilience, or international collaboration. But these must become outcomes of sovereignty, not substitutes for it”.
Sovereignty would be a clear, unifying goal, countering current green policies that are dividing the nation, policies that still enjoy strong support among younger voters, but increasingly worry older voters and SME business leaders, who bear most of the burden of job insecurity and higher energy costs.
National security policy underscores the point. The British government has committed to raising existing lacklustre defence spending from 2.3% of GDP today to 5% by 2038. If Britain is willing to make this investment to protect borders and alliances, it must also align other critical sectors, such as energy, food, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and data centres. Defence without industrial and energy sovereignty would leave the country further exposed.
The UK does not need to abandon energy security, resilience, or international collaboration. But these must become outcomes of sovereignty, not substitutes for it. Prioritising energy sovereignty protects domestic supply chains, strengthens resilience, reduces costs, and underpins long-term economic and strategic autonomy — all while still allowing imports and cooperative engagement with global energy markets.
In energy, as in geopolitics, sovereignty is about choice, protection, and independence, not isolation. Without it, Britain remains vulnerable and dependent. With it, the UK can make its own decisions — about energy, industry, decarbonisation, and the economy — while still engaging internationally. Sovereignty is not optional; it is the foundation of security, resilience, and real energy independence.
Definitions:
Energy Sovereignty - The capacity of a territory to meet its energy needs in an autonomous way to guarantee its independence, having direct control over its energy resources, production and infrastructure.
Energy Security - The uninterrupted availability of energy sources, whether from domestic or international sources, to ensure a reliable, consistent and economical supply of energy to keep homes and businesses running smoothly.
Energy Resilience - The ability of an energy system to prepare for, withstand, adapt to, and quickly recover from disruptions like blackouts, cyberattacks, or extreme weather, ensuring a reliable fuel and power supply.
Stuart R Broadley HonFEI is CEO of the Energy Industries Council (EIC).