Homegrown Energy and Industrial Strength: Securing Britain's Energy Future

The North Sea has powered homes, businesses and industries for decades. Today, the expertise of the offshore energy industry is central to one of the most complex challenges of our time: delivering secure and reliable energy, sustaining jobs and economic value whilst tackling climate change, all in the context of an increasingly volatile world. The North Sea remains a strategic economic asset, underpinning the country’s industrial strength and providing homegrown energy. Even as we diversify, oil and gas will remain essential for decades to come, powering homes, transport, and industry, and providing the expertise, infrastructure, and revenues that make investment in new technologies possible.  

The UK’s reliance on energy imports has grown sharply, with over 40% of total energy demand now met from overseas. At the same time, three-quarters of our energy still comes from oil and gas. The dependency on imported energy is not just a statistic; it is a vulnerability for households, industry and national security. The solution is prioritising homegrown energy – domestic oil and gas alongside the build out of renewable energy. Meeting even half of projected demand for our oil and gas domestically would add more than £200 billion to the UK economy and keep thousands of skilled jobs in communities that have powered Britain for generations.

This is not about slowing the transition; it is about enabling it. As the UK government has made clear, every credible pathway to net zero includes oil and gas for decades to come. The choice is whether we prioritise domestic production - supporting our jobs, our supply chain, and value in our economy - or rely on imports that come with none of those benefits and carry a higher carbon footprint. Undermine domestic oil and gas production and you undermine the supply chain and the workforce that is needed for our energy future.

Security is not only molecules and megawatts, but also the UK’s industrial spine. Decisions taken on the North Sea ripple through Grangemouth, Teesside, Humberside, and Tyneside, shaping refining, chemicals, manufacturing and logistics industries. These ecosystems depend on continuity of energy production. A stable framework sustains the capability that is building the next pipeline of opportunities.

Investment confidence is critical to the UK’s energy future. A competitive environment must attract capital not only for oil and gas but for offshore wind, carbon storage and hydrogen. Clear licensing, pragmatic regulation, streamlining of consenting and approval processes, and a stable and competitive fiscal regime give investors the certainty to commit. Without that, projects stall and supply chains weaken; with it, we secure jobs, accelerate low-carbon technologies and build the industrial base for a net zero future.

Policy choices made at Holyrood this year will shape planning, skills and industrial strategy for decades to come. Scotland’s role is integral, not separate. The Scottish elections are therefore pivotal: they will influence whether Scotland’s workforce and infrastructure continue to lead in energy security and decarbonisation. The asks are the same across the UK and Scotland, stability, predictability and a balanced pathway that treats energy security, affordability and climate goals as objectives to be delivered together.

The people of this sector are ready. They have the skills, the infrastructure and the ambition to deliver a world-class transition. This industry does not see a trade-off between economic growth, energy security, and climate responsibility. All three can be delivered. We must work collaboratively to shape policies that address the rapidly changing global environment, and keep Scotland and the UK at the forefront of global energy. It is a national priority that we build on our existing industrial strengths, ensure our communities thrive, and deliver a secure and prosperous future for generations to come. That future depends on pragmatic decisions now: back homegrown energy, back our skilled people, back our potential.

This article is sponsored by Offshore Energies UK.

www.oeuk.org.uk