The Government’s new Energy Independence Bill promises significant change across Britain’s energy system, from electricity networks and smart technologies to the North Sea transition, hydrogen and warmer homes.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham says the Bill will “put Britain back in control of its energy future”, while Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh has described it as a “first downpayment on fixing a broken system”.
But behind the political debate sits a practical question for our sector: do we have the people and skills to deliver that ambition?
Growing demand for skills
The Bill seeks to speed up electricity network infrastructure, support clean power and enable greater electrification. It also covers battery storage, flexibility, smart technologies and hydrogen.
For skills, this means both increasing demand and changing requirements. More infrastructure needs more people to design, build, operate and maintain it, while new technology will change the capabilities required within existing roles.
Our latest Workforce Demand Estimates 2026–2032 show the scale of demand across the energy industries. Electricity networks will require 44,300 people by 2032, including 27,400 additional jobs and 16,900 people to replace those expected to retire. Power generation will require 99,600 people, while community and domestic low-carbon technologies will require 116,800.
The pressure is already building. Electricity networks alone will require 10,100 people in 2026 and 12,000 in 2027, underlining why skills planning needs to happen alongside infrastructure planning, not once projects are ready to start.
The conclusions are particularly relevant to the Bill: infrastructure planning and skills planning cannot happen separately. We need to understand where workforce demand is growing and act before capability becomes a constraint on delivery.
Managing the North Sea transition
Perhaps the sharpest political debate concerns the Bill’s commitment to end new oil and gas exploration licences, while allowing continued production from existing licensed areas and introducing Transitional Energy Certificates.
The Government describes its approach as a fair transition for workers, communities and supply chains. Offshore Energies UK has offered a different emphasis, with Chief Executive David Whitehouse arguing that “energy independence must mean backing our own North Sea, our own industries and our own people”.
Experienced oil and gas workers hold significant engineering and technical expertise, but movement between industries is not automatic. Qualifications, standards and competency requirements can differ.
A successful transition means recognising transferable skills, creating clear pathways between roles and providing targeted development where additional training is required.
New technologies, new capabilities
The Bill’s focus on flexibility, battery storage, smart technologies and hydrogen reinforces how quickly skills requirements are changing.
The Workforce Demand Estimates similarly highlight the role of AI, automation, digital technology and new ways of working in changing how work is delivered. For many engineering and operational roles, technology is more likely to augment people than remove the need for human capability. Developing the existing workforce therefore matters alongside attracting new people.
Creating the pipeline
Meeting future demand will also mean widening the pool of people considering careers in energy and utilities.
The Bill’s emphasis on communities creates an opportunity to connect investment with local jobs, training and careers. Apprenticeships, skills development, reskilling and alternative entry routes all have a role in translating infrastructure investment into sustainable employment.
Skills are part of energy security
The Skills Strategy 2025-2030 is focused on creating a sector that is safe, skilled, sustainable and productive. The Workforce Demand Estimates provide the evidence to understand the scale and timing of demand; the Skills Strategy provides the framework for turning that evidence into action.
Energy security depends on infrastructure, investment and supply. It also depends on having the people capable of delivering them.
Steve Barrett, Director of Membership and Strategic Engagement at Energy & Utility Skills Group, said:
“The Energy Independence Bill sets out significant ambitions for our energy system, but ultimately those ambitions have to be delivered by people.
“Last week, we launched our new Workforce Demand Estimates 2026-2032 which show that electricity networks alone will require 44,300 people by 2032. That gives us a clear evidence base for action. If we are serious about energy security and accelerating infrastructure delivery, skills planning has to happen alongside investment and infrastructure planning, not after it.”
“The opportunity is significant, with thousands of new roles and careers being created across energy and utilities. Our focus now has to be on making sure we attract people into those opportunities, develop the skills and capabilities the sector will need, and retain the experience we already have.”
