Nationalisation hurdles in the UK
UK opposition Labour party threatens to nationalise the national grid at below fair value
Labour, the official UK opposition party, announced on 16 May plans to renationalise the country's gas and power transmission system owner and operator National Grid and 14 distribution network operators (DNOs). The proposed reversal of more than three decades of reliance on private gas and electricity transmission networks would force shareholders to accept a discounted offer, paid in gilts. No OECD country has ever underpaid. "As a matter of international law, you need to pay market value compensation," says Dan Neidle, partner at law firm Clifford Chance. "Any investor that has access to an international investment treaty could sue you in an international arbitration tribunal—and you woul
Also in this section
23 April 2026
The addition of an oil pipeline to the Power of Siberia 2 gas project could ensure deliveries of Russian oil to China, materially shorten logistics lines between West Siberia and final customers, and—amid disruption in the Strait of Hormuz—offer a land-based export route that reduces exposure to maritime chokepoints
23 April 2026
There is a clear push to bolster exports to Asia amid uncertainty around its North American neighbour, but there are limits to the benefits from the energy crisis
23 April 2026
Shell made the play-opening discovery in Namibia’s Orange basin back in 2022, but its next well could decide whether the project can actually be commercialised
22 April 2026
The failure of OMV Petrom’s keenly watched exploration campaign at Bulgaria’s Han Asparuh block highlights the Black Sea’s uneven track record, despite major successes like Neptun Deep and Sakarya
