Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 14
14
Deferred
Paragraph: 87
Recent grid connection reforms have not yet reduced queue times, which continue to lengthen.
Conclusion
Ofgem and the Energy System Operator have sought to improve grid connection timeframes through reforming grid queue procedures and introducing milestones. Early evidence suggests that the reforms introduced to date appear not to have yet had the immediate and radical effect on reducing grid connection times which they were designed to deliver: two months after the introduction of milestones, the queue had markedly lengthened, a development likely to have been due to a significant increase in applications.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government's response focuses on the creation of the Office for Clean Energy Jobs to address workforce skills and training in the energy sector, rather than directly addressing the committee's observation that grid connection reforms have not yet reduced connection times.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
87
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government · verbatim extract
Deferred
Government and Ofgem are working at pace with the National Energy System Operator (NESO) and network companies to accelerate connections. In March 2024, Ofgem granted urgency status to code modification proposals for a reformed connections process5 that would require new and existing projects to demonstrate sufficient progress to obtain and retain a connection agreement. The capacity released will enable accelerated connection of viable generation and demand projects that align with our strategic needs, including ensuring projects necessary for 2030 Clean Power can connect in time. DESNZ and Ofgem published a joint open letter in November 2024 supporting proposals to align grid connections with strategic plans and announcing government’s intention to legislate to ensure the connections process enables delivery of the Clean Power by 2030 ambition.6 NESO plans to submit proposals and options for connections reform to Ofgem by the end of 2024. Ofgem is expected to make a decision on proposals in early 2025. DESNZ and Ofgem agree on the need to actively monitor progress on connections reform. This is done through the Connections Delivery Board,7 which also provides strategic direction to industry where further action is required. The Department has established a senior stakeholder group convened by the Minister for Energy to monitor actions across the Electricity Networks programme including those on connections reform. Ofgem has worked with the Energy Networks Association (ENA) to ensure data on the status of the connections queue is collected from network companies and made publicly available on a regular basis. This data is now published on a monthly basis on the ENA website.8 Ofgem and Government continue to work with NESO and network companies to implement connections reform. This includes revising network modelling assumptions and allowing projects to connect ahead of network capacity being permanently available. This is already accelerating connections for renewable generation and storage projects. Longer-term connection reforms are also underway to ensure viable generation and demand projects that are aligned with net zero, Clean Power 2030 and other energy objectives can connect to the network faster.
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