Embracing Strategic Energy Plans

12th October 2024

The connections queue now stands at 722GW across transmission and distribution, a 3GW drop on last month. Whilst this reduction is obviously welcome, there remains much to do.

It's already clear from the first few months of this government that, more than ever, there is a need for speed. We must make changes to let the clean electricity we need flow through the Grid and power up the nation, cleanly and securely.

We have made a good start through the Connections Action Plan. Measures under the plan have so far resulted in:

over 10GW of stalled projects being removed from the queue
over 25GW of new capacity being released on the existing network for new storage projects
around 10GW of existing projects having their connection dates accelerated by an average of 6 years
As discussed in the last blog, moving forward it will now be crucial to ensure the connections process delivers a streamlined pipeline of projects that are ready to connect and are aligned with what is needed, as Ofgem and the government expect the Clean Power 2030 plan (CP2030) and the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) to identify. As we know, the government has asked the National Energy System Operator to provide independent advice on a clean power pathway to 2030, with that advice expected over the coming weeks.

This blog will focus on the expectations for the next steps of connections reform and the options and implementation pathways to go further to align with broader strategic planning. We then discuss what Ofgem is planning to deliver in the next few months to support the reforms.

From the Ofgem blog at
https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/news-and-views/blog