Energy Secretary Andy Burnham and the British government are backing a new Energy Independence Bill that would ban new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea. The legislation, introduced by Miatta Fahnbulleh, aims to remove the North Sea Transition Authority's legal power to issue new drilling licenses.
The bill is designed to codify a moratorium on new oil and gas projects previously introduced by Ed Miliband. Under current rules, such a moratorium could be overturned by future governments; however, this legislation would require a parliamentary majority to repeal, making a future reopening of the North Sea for exploration more difficult. The government stated the bill fulfills a manifesto commitment to cease issuing new licenses for new fields.
The proposed law does not apply to projects with existing licenses, such as the Rosebank oil field, or the Jackdaw gas field, which received government approval in October 2026. To manage existing operations, the government plans to introduce "transitional energy certificates." These certificates are intended to allow continued production in currently active fields and through existing infrastructure, which the government claims could unlock 60 million barrels of oil and support hundreds of jobs.
For households, the bill includes amendments to remove standing charges—fixed daily fees—from gas bills, a change previously outlined in John Healey’s budget. Residents would notice this change as a reduction in the base cost of their energy bills regardless of their usage. However, the timing of when these charges will be removed from bills depends on the bill's passage through Parliament. Environmental groups, including Greenpeace UK, have criticized the government for continuing to approve specific projects like Jackdaw, which they claim will not lower immediate bills or improve energy security.
The next steps for the bill involve its progression through the parliamentary process, where it must be debated and voted upon by lawmakers. The government has not provided a specific date for the final vote or when the ban would officially take effect. Concurrently, a final decision on the Rosebank oil field remains pending, with the energy secretary stating that a determination on that project will take "a bit longer." According to Fahnbulleh, the recently approved Jackdaw gas field is expected to begin providing gas to the grid during the upcoming winter season to support energy security.