In light of the UK’s National System Energy Operator (NESO) just releasing Great Britian’s new connections deliver pipeline, prioritising offshore and onshore wind, battery storage and solar projects that are ready to connect, please find a comment below:
“Great Britain’s new connections pipeline is extraordinary – demonstrating the energy transition is shifting from ambition to execution. There are now 283 GW of generation and storage projects progressing – around 5x peak electricity demand – with 132 GW directly aligned to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero’s Clean Power 2030 ambition. Together with the 111 GW already connected, this sets a strong pathway for secure, affordable, low-carbon electricity.
“But we should be clear-eyed about the delivery challenge. Under the old ‘first come’ regime, the queue swelled to 5,000+ projects representing up to 700 GW – far beyond what the system could connect. That’s why reform matters: a further 151 GW has been identified as essential for 2035 – the equivalent to powering around 1.5 million fast EV chargers – and delivery now needs to match that scale.
“Demand is rising too: nearly 100 GW of new or expanded demand connections (industrial and business users) are coming through – driving economic growth, electrification, and re-industrialisation. We now have proof that Gate 2 is already being treated as investable: a recent survey that we conducted of 800 UK developers and investors found that 68% of decision makers view the reform as an opportunity, and 74% expect faster connections as a result of it. Yet it’s a double-edged sword: 46% fear a two-tier market could be created that favours the biggest balance sheets, and 44% say high connection or reinforcement costs could still kill otherwise viable projects.
“The industry is ready to build – 60% have £50m–£250m committed for infrastructure requiring a 2026 connection – yet 33% already expect meaningful project drop-outs through the process. 60% say a 12-month slip adds up to 15% in costs per project, whilst 80% warn supply chain constraints could still knock timelines off course. The NESO reform is a vital reset – now we need the delivery system and supply chain to match the scale of Britain’s ambition.” – Jamie McAinsh, Chief Commercial Officer of Aurora Utilities, the Independent Distribution Network Operator.
