King's Speech 2026: Energy, environment and animal welfare

Approximate read time: 20 minutes

The government has said it intends to publish an ‘energy independence bill’, which will provide a framework for supporting its commitment to transition the UK energy market away from fossil fuels towards alternative forms of energy, including nuclear and renewables. Ministers have also said they would introduce measures to support energy consumers, including reforms to the remit and powers of the energy regulator, Ofgem. For example, the energy independence bill is expected to include measures to expand the remit of Ofgem to become the regulator of third-party intermediaries in the energy market, such as energy brokers.

Other areas where the government has committed to introduce legislation include reforms to the way water companies are regulated. The government has said it intends to replace the current regulator, Ofwat, with a new body with a wider remit to oversee the economic and environmental performance of the water industry.

The government has also committed to introduce measures intended to improve animal welfare. This includes reforms to the veterinary services market and proposals to ban trail hunting.

This briefing has been prepared to assist members of the House of Lords in the debates on the King’s Speech. It draws upon material from the public domain and does not constitute official information about the government’s intentions or provide a complete list of bills to be announced.