The National Energy System Operator has unveiled a new pipeline of deliverable energy projects that will be prioritised for connection to the grid, a move it says will unlock around £40 billion in clean investment each year and support the Government’s Clean Power by 2030 goal.
The announcement follows a major overhaul of the grid connections process, developed with government, investors, networks, Ofgem and the wider energy industry, after the old first-come, first-served queue for access to the grid swelled tenfold in five years to more than 700 GW – around four times Great Britain’s projected need by 2030.
That swelling of the connections queue led some shovel-ready projects being given connection dates well into the 2030s, while projects that were making no progress were further up in the queue. That led to the industry to push for an overhaul of the connections queue, which is now coming to fruition.
New connections pipeline begins today
From today, thousands of schemes – from wind and solar farms to battery storage and hydrogen projects – will learn whether they are among the 283 GW of generation and storage capacity and 99 GW of transmission-connected demand set to form NESO’s new pipeline. These projects will now be prioritised for connection under the reformed regime, which focuses on readiness and strategic value rather than when a developer first applied.
NESO says the reconfigured pipeline is intended to send a clearer signal on where and when new network infrastructure will be required, as Britain prepares for electricity demand that is projected to almost triple by 2050.
Following today’s notifications, the first batch of ‘protected’ projects currently scheduled to connect in 2026/27 will begin receiving formal offers with confirmed connection dates throughout December and into the new year, with remaining offers due to be finalised by the third quarter of next year.
Projects that are not included but want another chance to connect under the new arrangements will be able to reapply from late 2026. To qualify, developers will need to demonstrate both that their schemes are ready to progress and that they align with the Government’s Clean Power Action Plan.
Kayte O’Neill, Chief Operating Officer at NESO, noted, “Transforming the grid connections process is a vital first step in unlocking the capacity needs for a secure, affordable energy transition. These changes will cut grid bottlenecks by prioritising ready-to-build projects, giving certainty about when and where they can connect and unlocking billions in clean energy investment.
“These changes wouldn’t be possible without the collaboration of our partners over the last two years. Together, we’re laying the foundations for a resilient, efficient and future-ready energy system that delivers for British consumers and the economy.”
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero added, “We inherited a broken system where zombie projects were allowed to hold up grid connections for viable projects that will bring investment, jobs and economic growth.
“To fix this we embarked on ambitious, once in a generation reforms to clean up the queue and prioritise the projects that are ready to help us deliver clean power by 2030.
“Every solar farm, wind farm or battery storage facility we connect to the electricity grid brings us closer to clean, homegrown, power that we control – so we can get bills down for good.”
