Legal expert Rebecca Dawson from Square One Law explains how new reforms could improve grid access and unlock renewable energy projects across the UK…
The arduous process of connecting to the UK’s energy grid is undergoing its most significant overhaul in years.
In 2025, the queue for renewable energy connections had expanded to over 700GW, around four times Great Britain’s expected need by 2030.
Legislators and industry decided as a result of this that an overhaul to the connections process was required to help the nation shift away from its first-come, first-served model.
The aim was simple. Reduce speculative applications that bloated queues and slowed decision making, while unlocking capacity for projects deemed genuinely ready for construction and connection.
The UK energy regulator Ofgem ultimately approved the proposed reforms to the system in April 2025 and in the following December, after a review of 1,500 applications, NESO (the National Energy System Operator) confirmed a reordered pipeline of 283 GW of generation and storage projects were to be prioritised for connection. This was to include wind, solar, battery storage and hydrogen, all of which are key to helping the UK Government achieve its Net Zero ambitions.
Further reforms were then unveiled in February 2026 in a joint industry statement from NESO, Transmission Owners, Distribution Network Operators and Delivery Partners which provided yet more clarity to developers and outlined how the new reforms would aim to streamline the entire process.
Updated delivery windows for connection offers would provide greater certainty to developers about when connection decisions would be made, helping ‘to deliver accurate, timely connection offers and clear, transparent communication throughout the Connections Reform programme.’
However, it was also highlighted that changes in sequencing could mean that some locations may issue offers earlier than others, meaning there remains some uncertainty when it comes to geography.
NESO announced it had sent out the first contract under the reformed connections process on 20 February, with the initial contract going to a small project in Scotland and it is symbolic of the shift NESO and its partners are implementing to reduce historic grid delays.
Developers have historically faced long waits for firm connection offers, slowing clean energy investments. Industry stakeholders have also expressed that predictable offer dates were crucial for investment planning and financing. This is required in order to meet policy goals, including the government’s “Clean Power 2030” ambition.
The grid connections reform should be one of the most consequential changes in the UK’s energy infrastructure policy for years. With the first contracts now dispatched and a clearer timetable laid out, NESO’s February announcements hopefully represent a key step towards helping delivery of grid access and unlocking renewable energy projects around the UK.
