Our action plan for fair and faster connections
In 2023, we launched an action plan for fair and faster connections. Rising to Britain’s Net Zero Challenge set out six steps to improve grid connections for our customers.
- Strengthen and tighten the application process. Some customers submit speculative applications due to a lack of information and a perception that having a connection offer is in itself valuable.
- Release up to 90GW of capacity by cleaning up the queue and actively managing a “first ready, first connected” process. This will release up to 90GW of capacity through customer exits and accelerate remaining applications.
- Accelerate up to 70GW of applications by allowing some applicants to connect faster, before network reinforcements are completed. To accelerate connections of up to 70GW of applications, network operators are providing flexible contracts for generation and storage customers through solutions at distribution and transmission level.
- Release nearly 3GW of capacity by treating storage differently. Network operators are changing the modelling and assumptions for storage projects at both transmission and distribution level, to better align with actual usage patterns.
- Release 46GW of capacity by making network planning processes more coordinated and realistic. Network operators are reforming connections and network planning processes to better coordinate capacity and reinforcement decisions with actual requirements.
- Further improve coordination between transmission and distribution operators. Given the increasing interdependence between connections at distribution and transmission levels, network operators are developing a new solution to improve coordination between distribution network operators and transmission operators.
Since then, the networks have accelerated connections by managing the queue in collaboration with Ofgem, NESO and the government.
Generation and storage customers connecting to the distribution network, but dependent on transmission works, are now being accelerated by the innovative ‘technical limits’ solution, enabling them to connect ahead of transmission works under non-firm agreements.
What’s more, all distribution network operators have implemented queue management, moving to ‘first ready, first connected’, known in the industry as TMO4.
The reforms will extend further, known as TMO4+, to ensure projects needed under the government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan are connected to the grid.
Why 'connecting the queue' is not the answer
The length of the queue continues to be a major blocker, however, simply connecting the whole queue is not what Britain needs.
This is because the queue includes supply and storage capacity that significantly exceeds our most ambitious net zero scenarios. There is more than double the generation and supply capacity in the queue today than is required by 2050, according to NESO’s Future Energy Scenarios.
Also, the queue includes a material volume of speculative or non-viable projects that will never connect. As of January 2025, there were over 9,000 customer projects, representing 756GW of capacity, including demand and generation, with a contract to connect to the network – 580GW at transmission level and 177GW at distribution level, but we know from our experience that a significant proportion of these projects will not go ahead.
Network operators are committed to providing customers with the network connections they require, supporting the net zero transition and connecting those customer projects that are ready to be energised at pace.
What's causing this?
Britain has led the industrialised world in the march towards net zero emissions and, with it, greater energy security. Since the UK’s first commercial wind farm began exporting renewable power to the network in 1992, the networks have connected nearly 83GW of low-carbon electricity generation at transmission level and around c. 32GW at distribution level, enabling our rapid progress towards a decarbonised power grid by 2035.
But the recent unprecedented surge in applications for network connection, which have tripled between 2019 and 2024, has created a challenge for customers and network operators. It has resulted in a step change in the volumes and capacity seeking access to both transmission and distribution networks, driven by large scale generation and storage projects, creating the so-called “queue”. The rate of applications is not slowing down and in fact, continues to increase.
ENA Strategic Connections Group
The Strategic Connections Group, hosted by ENA, reports to Ofgem’s Connections Delivery Board. Together with our members, we make rapid changes to improve how customers connect to the grid at the distribution level.
With the oversight of the CEOs of Britain’s electricity network companies, we’ve brought together senior representatives of electricity transmission and distribution network companies, NESO, the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero and Ofgem to ensure cooperation and implement connections reform.
