New “shovel-ready” wind and solar farms will be prioritised to connect to the grid, operators said as they kickstarted moves to shake up the gridlocked connections queue.
The existing first-come, first-served approach to the grid connections queue, which operators say has led to unviable and speculative schemes holding up clean energy projects that are ready to plug in, has been scrapped.
The National Energy System Operator (Neso) said it was opening a three-week application window on Tuesday for more than 5,000 energy generation and demand projects in the queue to submit evidence to support their connection to the grid as it undertakes a major reordering of the system.
The new plan will see clean energy projects that can be up and running by 2030 prioritised, in a bid to help Labour hit its goal to near fully powering the country with clean electricity by the end of the decade, and to boost economic growth.
Neso said the connections queue had grown tenfold in just five years, and currently stands at 738 gigawatts (GW) – more than four times the amount of clean energy generation that is required by 2030 to meet Government goals.
The assessment process, which will prioritise projects on the basis of how ready they are and alignment with the UK’s clean energy goals, aims to connect the 170 GW of power needed by 2030.
Kayte O’Neill, chief operating officer, National Energy System Operator, said: “Neso opening the evidence window today is a key moment in the once-in-a-lifetime transformation of our electricity network, and a vital step for delivering clean power by 2030, while also helping supercharge economic growth for Great Britain.
“By prioritising agreements for projects that are critical and shovel-ready, developers will get the certainty they need to support investment decisions.
“It also gives energy consumers, from households and hospitals to electric car charging stations and data centres, the confidence of clean and stable power for generations to come.
“We advise all applicants to ensure they submit the correct evidence, so that we can assess applications fully and fairly.”
Energy minister Michael Shanks said: “Today marks a milestone in our work to overhaul the connections queue and unleash ready-to-go clean power projects that will help us reach our 2030 target.
“Developers in the queue now have the chance to demonstrate to Neso that their projects are ready to progress.”
He added the move would take Britain closer to an energy system that takes the country “off the rollercoaster of global fossil fuel markets and can bring bills down for good”.
Applicants in the queue have until July 29 to submit evidence, with those meeting the criteria placed in a “gate 2” queue and receiving an updated connection offer, prioritising those due to connect in 2026 and 2027.
Neso said it aims to have made all offers for projects needed to meet the 2030 goals by early next year.
Those who do not meet the criteria will get a “gate 1” offer, remaining in the system but without a connection date. They can reapply through future biannual application windows or withdraw their scheme.
