A series of Bills set out in King Charles’ parliamentary address will transform how Britain builds and expands infrastructure, and pays for its power.
In total, the King’s Speech on Wednesday 13th May 2026 included the announcement of 37 new bills. These touch on a number of areas and industries, including housing, defence and security, transport and economics.
Three focused on the energy sector, led by the Energy Independence Bill, legislating for reforms that will speed up the rollout of residential improvements such as heat pumps and insulation, large scale infrastructure projects and renewable power deployment. Fundamentally, there is also a doubling down on the UK’s current trajectory of moving away from fossil fuels with a long-term goal of full decarbonisation.
Elsewhere, the King’s Speech also lays the groundwork for a new Nuclear Regulation Bill, expediting approval and delivery times for new atomic projects. Coupled with the Electricity Generator Levy Bill, which will see the fossil fuel windfall tax rise from 45 to 55% and break the link between electricity and gas prices, and Britain’s longstanding commitment to cleaner power is only set to grow, with faster financial rewards for both generators and consumers.
‘The inclusion of an Energy Independence Bill accompanied by a Nuclear Regulation Bill and an Electricity Generator Levy Bill suggests that the Government is preparing to bolster measures to accelerate planning and regulatory approval for clean energy projects, cut energy bills and strengthen our energy independence and resilience,’ says Kevin Gibbs, Senior Consultant in the Planning, Infrastructure and Environment team at international law firm Charles Russell Speechlys.
The Nuclear Regulation Bill features a number of recommendations from the 2025 Nuclear Regulatory Review, conducted by John Fingleton. For example, the appointment of the Environment Agency as Lead Environmental Regulator for the Sizewell C reactor and publication of revisions to the Habitats Regulation Assessment draft guidance.
‘It’s encouraging to see the UK government’s commitment to long-term energy independence and clean power reinforced. The intention to act on the Fingleton [Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce Review] recommendations to streamline the construction of nuclear power plants is the most significant reset of the UK’s nuclear regulatory system in more than 20 years,’ explains Claudio Tassistro, Managing Director of Energy for UK and Europe at Mott MacDonald. ‘These reforms have the potential to materially reduce both the cost and delivery timeline of new nuclear, which is critical to achieving net zero and energy security.’
Image: Matthew Henry / Unsplash
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