Connections Reform
We recognise the challenges facing our connections customers and the need to update the connections application process. As a result, we launched the Connections Reform project to address these challenges and put our customers and stakeholders at the heart of this change.
This reform project forms part of our longer-term vision for change to the connections process. We also have a number of short-term initiatives to speed up connections to the grid, through our five-point plan.
Connections Reform Methodologies
Phase 3: Consultation Documents
We introduced our consultation questions at the start of our Overview document (pages 9 and 10) and welcome your views on each of these questions. Please use the detailed documents on each of the methodologies to inform your responses.
Please provide your feedback by completing this Connections Reform Consultation Response Form or by completing this Connections Reform: Consultation Response Proforma and sending an electronic copy to [email protected] by 5pm on the closing date of 2nd December 2024.
We will publish all consultation responses unless they are marked confidential. If you do not wish your response to be published, please clearly mark it as confidential. Please note even confidential responses will be shared with Ofgem. By responding you agree to our sharing your response with Ofgem.
To support you in your response and to answer any questions, we will be holding at least one webinar in November, which we encourage you to attend.
Phase 3 updates
We are pleased to provide you with a high level overview of our enhanced First Ready, First Connected approach (referred to as ‘TMO4+’). This document summarises significant progress made since our final recommendation report, which was published in December 2023.
Our commitment to enhancing the connections process has been worked on through extensive engagement and valuable input from stakeholders, including the Connections Process Advisory Group (CPAG). In response to these collaborative efforts, we are now also recommending the application of the ‘Gate 2’ approach to the existing queue. This is effectively the preferred model we recommended in December 2023 but with this addition and further targeted amendments. This strategic decision is aimed at better meeting our reform objectives and those within the Connections Action Plan, as well as ensuring a smoother and more efficient process in future.
Land rights request for information analysis
A high-level summary of results has been published from our recent Request For Information (RFI) on land rights held from May to June 2024.
The RFI requested contains details from developers holding a signed contract with us about their ability to meet land rights criteria and planning status’.
Under proposed code modifications, retaining existing connection dates or being able to accelerate the date is dependent on meeting specified criteria such as having secured land rights.
Having an early understanding of projects that can meet these criteria enables us to better assess the impact of proposals CMP434 & CM095 and CMP435 & CM096, and whether projects can or cannot be accelerated under a reformed queue.
Overall, findings were largely in line with the assumptions we made and support changes proposed under Connections Reform TMO4+, which will potentially halve the size of the queue.
Final recommendations report
We have published our final recommendations on 5 December 2023. These can be viewed on the key documents tab in the December 2023 Final Recommendations section. We will now start a detailed process design and implementation phase, to conclude in January 2025.
Download the final recommendations summary
We hosted a series of events in December to share our final recommendations in more detail and show how it links to wider industry reforms including Ofgem and Department for Energy Security and Net Zero's Connections Action Plan and the ENA 3 point plan.
Financial Instruments
There is an urgent need to reform Great Britain’s electricity connection process. NESO is proposing to introduce a Financial Instrument alongside the wider suite of connections reforms. The proposal would require projects in the Gate 2 queue to demonstrate financial commitment for a confirmed connection agreement.
On 11 Oct 24, we took this proposal to the Transmission Charging Methodologies Forum and received useful feedback from stakeholders during and after the meeting. We are committed to listening to feedback and working collaboratively with stakeholders, and understand that our proposals will change the landscape for investors and developers. We want to ensure our initial proposal reaches and is understood by the widest range of stakeholders before formally raising the modification. As such, we would like to invite further feedback on the Financial Instrument as we refine our proposal.
Phase 2 enabled us to co-create the solutions to the challenges we identified in phase 1 by working with industry-wide stakeholder groups to create and test a series of options for implementation. This resulted in the launch of our proposal consultation.
Our consultation was live for six weeks between 13 June and 28 July. We want to thank all of our stakeholders for their feedback, which will help shape the future of the connections process.
All formal Connections Reform consultation responses received are now under review. We continue to work with our stakeholder governance groups to establish our final recommendations and refine our proposals on how to implement and transition to a new operating model.
Phase 2 Structure & Timeline
This phase will be done in an agile manner via a number of 'sprints' which, when combined, will consider the full breadth of possible options
We spent phase 1 gathering stakeholder views to understand the current challenges with the connections application process, and articulated the case for change. We’ve met with over 100 customers, stakeholders, and industry participants to hear your views on the current connections process. The case for change report pulls all that feedback into one central place.
GB Connections Reform – case for change report
This report pulls all the feedback gathered during phase 1 into one central place to enable us to progress to phase 2, which will investigate options.
December 2023 Final Recommendations
Connections Correspondence
Summer 2023 consultation
Summer 2023 consultation responses
| Name | Published Sort ascending |
|---|---|
| Response 40 - Sembcorp | 4 Sep 2023 |
| Response 43 - Cero Generation | 4 Sep 2023 |
| Response 47 - Ventient Energy | 4 Sep 2023 |
| Response 49 - REA | 4 Sep 2023 |
| Response 51 - Zenobe Energy | 4 Sep 2023 |
| Response 53 - Enso Energy | 4 Sep 2023 |
| Response 55 - SSEN Transmission | 4 Sep 2023 |
| Response 60 - ETRS Ltd | 4 Sep 2023 |
Steering group documents
Consultation launch: summer 2023
Design sprints webinar: spring 2023
| Design sprints documents |
|---|
| Connections Reform design sprint outputs - May 2023 |
Case for change webinar: winter 2022/23
| Case for change documents |
|---|
| Case for change presentation - 12/13 Dec 2022 |
| Case for change webinar recording - 10 Jan 2023 |
| Case for change FAQs |
Get in touch
Stakeholder views form a key part of the Connections Reform project. There are a number of ways to get in contact with us, ask us questions and have your say.
Events calendar
Visit our calendar to sign up to our events.
Mailing list
Subscribe to the connections reform mailing list.
Get in touch
Speak to the connections reform team.