The UK Government has announced a plan to improve the grid connection process to help reach its goal of producing all electricity from clean sources by 2030.
In an open letter released today, the government and Ofgem outlined the need to connect new clean energy projects and energy storage systems more quickly.
The letter explains that the current queue for grid connections holds a capacity of 722GW across the country’s transmission and distribution networks, causing significant delays that hinder investment in energy projects.
To tackle this issue, the government is proposing to change the existing ‘first come, first served’ connection policy to a ‘first ready, first connected’ approach.
The government and Ofgem are working with the National Energy System Operator (NESO) to introduce additional criteria that will help prioritise connections based on technology and location.
This is intended to create a balanced energy mix that aligns with the government’s Clean Power 2030 plan.
The letter also highlights the need to ensure that various electricity demand projects -including data centres and new housing – can connect to the grid on time.
Additionally, the reforms will consider fairness for distribution connections, ensuring that they are treated equally within the new system.
To put these reforms in place, Ofgem plans to consult on new licence conditions to better align the connections process with energy planning.
The letter calls for cooperation among all parties involved to achieve a quick resolution to the connection reform process.
