Ofgem has approved a key rule change that will speed up grid connections for small energy projects across England and Wales.
The move, announced today (12 May), raises the threshold for projects needing a Transmission Impact Assessment (TIA) from 1MW to 5MW under modification CMP446.
That means faster, cheaper connections for small solar, battery and community energy schemes.
Currently, even modest projects above 1MW must go through a TIA to assess whether their local connection could strain the wider national grid.
But for many smaller projects, the assessment adds unnecessary delay and cost with limited benefit.
Today’s change cuts that red tape, freeing up hundreds of small-scale clean energy projects to connect quicker and support Britain’s energy transition.
Ofgem says areas with existing network constraints will still require TIAs at the 1MW level, but elsewhere, the new 5MW limit will apply.
The impact is immediate. Some 337 projects currently in the connection queue – totalling 682MW of capacity – can now progress without waiting for a TIA.
That includes a significant number of community-led and locally owned schemes, which typically fall under the 5MW threshold.
The reform is part of a broader overhaul of the grid connection process, designed to remove bottlenecks and prioritise shovel-ready clean energy schemes.
With more small projects moving forward, network operators like NESO can now focus their resources on assessing larger, more complex projects that genuinely impact the transmission system.
By unblocking the queue, CMP446 is expected to accelerate the delivery of local renewables and strengthen energy security – all while slashing wait times for smaller developers.
This marks another step in efforts to fix the UK’s overloaded grid access system, which has left many projects stuck for years in connection limbo.
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