Connections
Aligning grid connections to Great Britain’s future…
6 Nov 2024 - 2 minute read
Delivery of a clean power system in 2030 will require an installed generation and storage capacity…
Strategically aligning connections to achieve clean power targets
Connections
10 Dec 2024 - 2
minute read
Ensuring a future where everyone has access to clean, reliable and affordable energy will require viable projects to connect to the grid to provide the zero-carbon electricity needed to deliver a clean power system.
To achieve the goals set out in the Government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan (CP30 Plan), we’re proposing to reform the connections process by introducing a new, agile, future-proof process for connection and access to the transmission system that ensures strategically aligned projects are connected in a timely and efficient manner to achieve clean power. Since announcing this reform, we’ve been inviting industry stakeholders to provide feedback, including via formal consultation.
Connections Reform consultation
The consultation builds on the readiness proposals previously proposed, by introducing additional requirements to demonstrate ‘strategic alignment’ with strategic energy plans published by Government, including Government’s upcoming CP30 Plan.
Within that consultation we set out that NESO will ensure that projects, which have met the Gate 2 criteria and are already under construction and due to commission in 2026 or earlier, will not be adversely impacted by aligning the queue to the CP30 Plan.
Industry feedback
We received feedback from industry stakeholders that providing up-front comfort for additional projects would further support the timely delivery of projects that could contribute to clean power by 2030.
Proposed measures for strategic alignment
To support timely project connections, we’re proposing that certain categories of projects will be deemed to have met strategic alignment under the Gate 2 criteria so long as they can provide evidence of the following by the close of the Gate 2 to whole queue evidence submission window (estimated as end May 2025):
- Have submitted an application for planning consent before the date we submit our final connections methodologies proposals to Ofgem (estimated 20 December), and have secured planning consent by the close of the Gate 2 to whole queue evidence submission window
- Been awarded a Government Contract for Difference
- Obtained a Capacity Market contract
- Received an Ofgem cap and floor or merchant route regulatory approval for interconnector or offshore hybrid assets projects
These projects must still meet the readiness element of the Gate 2 criteria to proceed.
What’s next?
Details of these proposals will be included in our final submission to Ofgem by the end of 2024. This submission will also assess the impact of these measures on the technology pathways within the CP30 Plan.
Initial analysis suggests that these measures will support well-progressed projects in delivering Clean Power by 2030 without deviating materially from the CP30 Plan's pathways.
For the avoidance of doubt, this is NESO's proposal and will be subject to final approval by Ofgem as per the wider connections methodologies, licence changes and code modifications.
