Great Britain has ripped up its grid connections rulebook in the biggest overhaul the energy system has seen in decades.
The move announced today, is all about unlocking billions in clean power investment and clearing a queue that had ballooned far beyond what the country could ever build.
NESO has confirmed a brand-new delivery pipeline that scraps first-come, first-served rules and instead prioritises projects that are ready to go and aligned with national energy goals.
It is a seismic shift. The old system left more than 700GW of projects waiting for grid access — around four times what Britain needs for a secure, affordable and clean power system by 2030.
‘Zombie projects’ clogged the queue while shovel-ready schemes sat idle.
Under the new process, 283GW of generation and storage will move forward immediately along with nearly 100GW of new or expanded transmission-connected demand.
Projects that have planning permission or firm land rights and match national targets now jump to the front of the line.
NESO says 132GW of those projects directly support the UK’s Clean Power 2030 target and will sit alongside the existing 111GW already connected.
A further 151GW is identified as vital to Britain’s needs by 2035, sending powerful investment signals to developers and supply chains.
More than 300GW of projects will not progress for now because they are either not ready or not aligned with national objectives, though they may reapply in future windows.
NESO Chief Operating Officer Kayte O’Neill said: “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.”
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “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.”
Ofgem CEO Jonathan Brearley said: “Together we’ve cleared the gridlock and created a new pipeline that prioritises the projects Britain needs most. We are building grids as fast as the sector possibly can, while ensuring generation gets connected.”
Chris Stark, Head of Mission Control for Clean Power 2030, added: “This overhaul of the connections process is the single most important step we will take towards a clean power system.”
Labour says Britain now has a curated pipeline designed for delivery not delay and a grid process built to match the pace of the clean energy transition.
Grid rulebook ripped up in biggest shake-up in decades appeared first on Energy Live News.