Great Britain is one of the few developed countries where large deposits of hydrocarbon raw materials were found and developed during the last 30 years of the 20th century. British government bodies have long-standing experience in control over energy industries. The author gives an overview of drastic changes in the resource base of Britain’s fuel and energy complex, dwells on the creation and development of new industries, the evolution of public policy in the sphere of power engineering and draws the conclusion that liberalization in that sector is to benefit Britain’s economy at large.