This government’s grid connections reforms replace the first come, first served queue with a pragmatic first ready, first connected system and aligns that system to what we strategically need as a country, says Michael Shanks
We’ve all been there. Standing behind someone in a queue who isn’t actually ready to be called next. Faffing about to get themselves organised and holding up those who turned up ready to go.
Yes, queuing is quintessentially British, but that isn’t a justification for our electricity system being held up from doing what it needs to do.
Clean energy developers have faced those queue frustrations for years, due to a flawed first-come, first-served system for connecting to the electricity grid.
First come, first served may sound fair, but it does not take readiness into account. This has led to an unworkable situation where energy projects that had little hope of getting off the ground soon are prioritised for connections over those which are shovel-ready.
It allowed the connections queue to grow ten-fold in just five years, with more than 700GW of generation and storage projects waiting to join the grid – around four times the generation Britain needs to achieve clean power by 2030.
Projects that could help us deliver clean power by 2030 have been faced with waits of up to 15 years to be hooked up the grid. These are developments that will create jobs, growth and help build an energy system that can bring bills down for good.
The grid connections reforms replace the first come, first served queue with a pragmatic first ready, first connected system and aligns that system to what we strategically need as a country. It tells developers, “This is what we need, and this is what you have to do”.
Renewable infrastructure
Renewable infrastructure like solar farms, wind farms and battery storage that are ready and needed for the country’s clean power mission and energy security will be given offers to get connected by 2030.
Those that have failed to hit the right milestones or aren’t aligned with what our energy system needs will be shifted to a development pipeline and will be considered when they are needed and can prove they are ready.
It means that developers who do not meet essential criteria like securing planning permission will no longer block the path for those that are ready while bringing long overdue order and common sense to our energy grid, sending a message that applicants who put the groundwork in will be supported while those who drag their tails will not.
As well as unlocking up to £40bn of annual, mainly private investment, the reforms also clear space for industries such as datacentres to secure vital connections faster too, supporting businesses that want to back Britain and build in Britain, unlocking growth and jobs around the country
Reordering the queue has been a huge task – NESO has assessed around 3,000 applications to connect to the grid – and it unlocks the next step in delivering our clean power mission. It is a first of its kind in the world process, that underlines our commitment to getting the system moving to benefit households and businesses across the country.
We know we need to upgrade the grid that was mostly built in the 1960s to connect coal-fired power
But the hard work does not stop now. We know we need to upgrade the grid that was mostly built in the 1960s to connect coal-fired power, so we can make the most of our abundant renewable potential.
To speed this up we are also progressing planning reforms to halve the time it takes to build transmission infrastructure, so we can connect more clean power, transport it to where it is needed, and get Britain off the rollercoaster of fossil-fuel prices.
This will enable homes, business and industry across the country to feel the benefit of low-cost home-grown energy sooner instead of gambling on international fossil fuel markets.
Michael Shanks is energy minister