UK Government Publishes Its "British Energy Security Strategy"

The British Energy Security Strategy ("the Strategy"), published on April 7, 2022, aims to ensure that the United Kingdom has "a flow of energy that is affordable, clean and above all secure." Published against the background of events in Ukraine, it provides little comment on global politics or reliance on foreign sources of energy, but instead focuses on reducing the United Kingdom's reliance on fossil fuels and, in turn, exposure to the volatility of international energy prices.

The Strategy sets out long-term targets for offshore wind, solar, hydrogen, and nuclear energy, but fails to address concerns relating to rapidly rising energy costs, the net-zero transition, or short-term energy security. The Strategy makes only minor changes to the UK government's "Net Zero Strategy" published in October 2021. Some of the key points arising are as follows: