Electricity Grid Connection Delays
Recent grid connection reforms failing to reduce queue times, which continue to lengthen, hindering energy infrastructure development.
151 items
2 sources
Strongest theme matches
Mixed across source types and ranked by classifier confidence plus text match strength.
Committee recommendation
100match
#19 - Electricity grid connection processes remain unfit for purpose, delaying charge point rollout
As with motorway service areas, many of these locations are limited by the strength of the local electricity network and the ability to enhance and connect to it. The Government recognises that the processes to receive electricity grid connections are increasingly unfit for purpose and take too long, and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and...
Matched on
terms: connection, delay, electricity, grid
Committee recommendation
100match
#11 - Strengthen NPS guidance on grid connection weight and clarify future connection prospects assessment.
The National Policy Statements should give significant weight to the availability of a grid connection, as a paramount consideration in determining where electricity generation projects can be located. However, by the same token, where a project has not yet secured a grid connection, the prospects of doing so should also be a material consideration weighing for or against...
Matched on
terms: connection, electricity, grid
Committee recommendation
100match
#16 - Delays in grid connections for renewable projects impede energy security and investor confidence.
Delivery of renewable energy projects at pace, and securing their connection to the transmission network, is essential to achieving the generation capacity required under the Government’s strategy for energy security. The connection of generation capacity to the grid is being held up by delays to the ‘critical path’ of grid readiness. Delays in project connections are unlikely to...
Matched on
terms: connection, delay, grid
Committee recommendation
96match
#15 - Limited visibility of grid connections queue; recent reforms may initially lengthen waiting times.
Overall visibility of the grid connections queue is limited, and it is possible that the immediate effect of the reforms introduced has been to lengthen the connections queue as developers react to the new regime. While we welcome the Ofgem project milestone reforms which took effect in November 2023, the measures entailed in the Connections Action Plan may...
Matched on
terms: connection, grid
Committee recommendation
96match
#14 - Recent grid connection reforms have not yet reduced queue times, which continue to lengthen.
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...
Matched on
terms: connection, grid
Committee recommendation
95match
#45 - Enable National Grid ESO to require projects meet strengthened grid connection milestones.
The UK’s “first come first served” approach to grid connections is failing to deliver the volume of connections required. Projects which may be speculative or slow-moving risk being prioritised over those that are more viable. While we welcome National Grid ESO’s five-point plan to tackle queue management issues at the transmission level, we do not believe this has...
Matched on
terms: connection, grid
Committee recommendation
95match
#41 - Inadequate grid network capacity and connection delays are hampering low-carbon power delivery.
A lack of network capacity and delays to securing grid connections are together hampering the delivery of low-carbon power and driving potential investments overseas. For too long, transmission and distribution network owners have been able to delay or avoid the level of anticipatory investment required to deliver a network capable of meeting the needs of the country. Ofgem’s...
Matched on
terms: connection, delay, grid
Committee recommendation
95match
#24 - Government delay in shore power policy for UK ports is unwelcome during grid connection challenges.
It is regrettable that the Government has changed course on its policy on the provision of shore power to UK ports. In a period where grid connections are currently at a premium and demand for electricity supply is increasing, the delay in determining policy on how to provide power to the zero-emission ports of the future is unwelcome.
Matched on
terms: connection, delay, electricity, grid
Committee recommendation
95match
#10 - Review interaction between development consent and grid connection application processes for greater coordination.
There needs to be more coordination between the application processes for development consent and a grid connection, given that each is highly relevant to the other and both will be influenced by the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan, and the Land Use Framework. It is essential that developers are not left stuck in...
Matched on
terms: connection, grid
Committee recommendation
94match
#14 - Motorway ultra-rapid charge point targets missed due to optimistic planning and grid connection issues
The Department had an ambition that operators would install six ultra rapid charge points at every motorway service area by the end of 2023. However, only around half installed that many charge points by that time, and by January 2025 only 80 out of 114 met this target. The Department acknowledged that there was probably a degree of...
Matched on
terms: connection, electricity, grid
Committee recommendation
94match
#31 - First Report - Grid Capacity in Wales
The grid network has been built piecemeal on the basis of the energy needs of the nation over time. The energy system in the UK is changing and electricity grid network design needs to adapt to meet this change. We are encouraged to see the Government shifting to a more strategic, planned approach to the network and welcome...
Matched on
terms: electricity, grid
Committee recommendation
90match
#29 - First Report - Grid Capacity in Wales
The UK Government should use National Grid ESO’s Future Energy Scenarios to work with energy companies and grid infrastructure owners to determine areas where anticipatory investment in grid infrastructure would be justified to achieve net zero targets. Where anticipatory investment in grid infrastructure is deemed justified, the UK Government should encourage the development of multi-connection substations in order...
Matched on
terms: connection, grid
Committee recommendation
82match
#9 - First Report - Grid Capacity in Wales
Upfront connection costs can be prohibitive and prevent the development of energy projects. This results in a “chicken and egg” situation whereby developers wait for other developers to commit to the funding of connection costs.
Matched on
terms: connection, grid
Committee recommendation
80match
#32 - First Report - Grid Capacity in Wales
Due to the urgency of the situation the UK Government needs to take control of electricity grid network design by setting deadlines and targets for Ofgem, grid Grid capacity in Wales 41 infrastructure owners and other significant bodies including National Grid ESO. The UK Government needs to provide the leadership and strategic planning to deliver a complicated set...
Matched on
terms: electricity, grid
Committee recommendation
80match
#3 - First Report - Grid Capacity in Wales
To ensure that communities and business in Wales can decarbonise in line with government targets, grid infrastructure must be able to meet the projected increase in demand for electricity. The evidence we received suggested that the grid in Wales will not be suitable to facilitate the decarbonisation of heat and transport across Wales.
Matched on
terms: electricity, grid
Committee recommendation
78match
#6 - First Report - Grid Capacity in Wales
We recognise the strengths of an electricity grid that serves the whole of Great Britain. However, we conclude that there are distinct challenges and opportunities relating to grid infrastructure in Wales that require specific focus and intervention from the UK Government.
Matched on
terms: electricity, grid
Committee recommendation
78match
#5 - First Report - Grid Capacity in Wales
We recommend that the UK Government task the new Electricity Networks Commissioner to determine the grid infrastructure necessary to enable industry, communities and businesses in Wales to decarbonise heat and transport in line with net zero targets.
Matched on
terms: electricity, grid
Committee recommendation
77match
#16 - First Report - Grid Capacity in Wales
We are encouraged to see the new Electricity Networks Commissioner appointed with a remit to reduce timelines and look forward to understanding in more detail how this will be achieved. However, it is not clear that the UK Government appreciates that a step change is necessary to deliver a streamlined planning and consent process that enables the achievement...
Matched on
terms: electricity, grid
Committee recommendation
76match
#33 - First Report - Grid Capacity in Wales
As well as considering the grid in Wales as part of a Great Britain enterprise, the UK Government must recognise the distinctive challenges and opportunities associated with the grid in Wales. The UK Government should engage directly and regularly with the Welsh Government to deliver a coordinated and strategic approach to electricity grid network design. (Paragraph 154) 42...
Matched on
terms: electricity, grid
Committee recommendation
76match
#30 - First Report - Grid Capacity in Wales
In order to utilise the opportunities for renewable energy generation in Wales a system of anticipatory investment in grid infrastructure needs to be created and implemented urgently. In the government response to this report, we request further information on the nature of the changes to Ofgem’s powers and the timeline for this to be implemented. The UK Government...
Matched on
terms: grid
Committee recommendation
73match
#10 - First Report - Grid Capacity in Wales
We are encouraged that Ofgem is reviewing connection arrangements and we look forward to hearing more about the progress being made in the run up to 1 April 2023. We consider that due to the tight timeframes set by government net zero targets, urgent work should be done to overcome prohibitive upfront costs and the ‘chicken and egg’...
Matched on
terms: connection, grid
Committee recommendation
72match
#10 - First Report - Zero emission vehicles
Project Rapid, which specifies the number of charge points on the strategic road network by 2023 and beyond, is welcome. However, the spending priorities for the £950 million rapid charging fund are currently obscure. Given the time and expense involved in upgrading grid connections, it is crucial that this money is distributed to unlock investment, provide fully future-proofed...
Matched on
terms: connection, grid
Committee recommendation
72match
#17 - Second Report - Renewable energy in Wales
The UK Government must recognise that Wales’ increase in renewable energy development and generation may be significantly hindered by grid constraints if action is not taken. To mitigate this risk, the UK Government must work in collaboration Renewable energy in Wales 29 with Ofgem to plan anticipatory investment in Wales, so that the significant uplift in renewables generation...
Matched on
terms: delay, grid
Committee recommendation
70match
#24 - First Report - Grid Capacity in Wales
We recommend that the Government engage directly with community energy projects in Wales to understand the difficulties they face connecting to the grid. The UK Government should lead a working group made up of the Welsh Government, grid infrastructure owners, energy companies and communities to explore how access to the grid for community energy projects can be improved...
Matched on
terms: grid
Committee recommendation
70match
#8 - First Report - Grid Capacity in Wales
We note the work by the Welsh Government to develop a long-term plan for energy networks in Wales and call on the UK Government to explain how it is engaging with this. The UK Government needs to explain how it is taking into account Wales-specific 38 Grid capacity in Wales challenges and opportunities when considering grid design and...
Matched on
terms: grid
Committee recommendation
70match
#7 - First Report - Grid Capacity in Wales
The Committee welcomes that Celtic Sea projects have been included in the list of infrastructure projects in the UK Government’s Growth Plan and notes the recent decision by The Crown Estate to seek to accelerate the leasing process where possible. This appears only to be possible in Wales if improvement to grid infrastructure is also accelerated and we...
Matched on
terms: grid
Committee recommendation
70match
#18 - Complex electricity network decisions demand earlier strategic settlement and community involvement.
The complex judgments involved in evaluating different options for electricity network infrastructure not only raise a strong argument for settling these strategic considerations at an earlier stage, but also heighten the need for affected communities to be involved in those decisions. (Conclusion, Paragraph 53)
Matched on
terms: electricity
Committee recommendation
70match
#17 - Review removing specific electricity distribution infrastructure from NSIP regime for faster delivery.
The Government should review whether some types of electricity distribution infrastructure should be removed from the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects regime and instead consented under section 37 of the Electricity Act 1989, to speed up delivery critical to Clean Power by 2030. These may include 132kV wood poles. (Recommendation, Paragraph 49) The role of community engagement in building...
Matched on
terms: electricity
Committee recommendation
69match
#15 - First Report - Grid Capacity in Wales
There is a multiplicity of different bodies involved in securing planning consent for grid infrastructure and this process needs to be streamlined. We welcome the commitment to cutting processing times by fifty per cent and appreciate the challenge that this constitutes. However, in light of the evidence we received, it is clear that in order to meet government...
Matched on
terms: grid
Committee recommendation
69match
#11 - Strengthen National Policy Statement for Ports to support shore power and electric vessel charging
The Government should strengthen the National Policy Statement for Ports to better support the provision of shore power and electric vessel charging infrastructure as decarbonisation options, recognising the critical interface between ports and the energy grid. It would also assist in reducing pollution from ships which affects nearby communities. The NPS should clearly set 32 out expectations for...
Matched on
terms: grid
Committee recommendation
68match
#44 - Establish a Minister-led infrastructure delivery group to expedite national network infrastructure build at pace.
We recommend that Ofgem sees the Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment (ASTI) framework as a starting point to accelerate the delivery of the necessary grid upgrades required to meet the Government’s 2035 target. This work should continue beyond 2035 to ensure adequate overall capacity for delivering on the 2050 net zero target. We support the recommendation of the Climate...
Matched on
terms: electricity, grid
Committee recommendation
68match
#9 - 1st Report - Clean Power by 2030: A fair deal for Scotland?
Successive administrations have chronically underinvested in the electricity grid. As a result, grid capacity has not kept pace with the expansion of renewables across the UK system. This causes the perverse outcome 51 of Scottish windfarms being switched off—sometimes more frequently than they are generating—while a fossil fuel power station is fired up elsewhere in the UK. UK...
Matched on
terms: electricity, grid
Committee recommendation
66match
#23 - First Report - Grid Capacity in Wales
We have heard that community energy projects face specific difficulties in connecting to the grid, and that the UK Government is not aware of those difficulties.
Matched on
terms: grid
Committee recommendation
66match
#4 - First Report - Grid Capacity in Wales
While we understand that the UK Government must consider the energy and network needs of the UK as a whole, we consider that it would be inequitable if the UK were to benefit from Wales’ natural resources for renewable energy generation while Welsh households, businesses and industry were not adequately connected to the grid.
Matched on
terms: grid
Committee recommendation
66match
#42 - Accelerate investment in future grid capacity ahead of need to prevent generation curtailment costs.
We join many other organisations from across the sector in calling on Ministers, Ofgem and network owners to help recover lost ground by accelerating investment in future grid capacity now ahead of need. The increasing costs associated with turning off generation sites due to a lack of transmission capacity must be halted. Investment should be considered to increase...
Matched on
terms: grid
Committee recommendation
64match
#11 - First Report - Zero emission vehicles
The electric vehicle charging infrastructure strategy must set out: a) how the £950 million rapid charging fund will be spent to facilitate the implementation of charging infrastructure; and b) the measures that the Government is taking to identify and address under- provision at locations outside the strategic road network, where grid connection costs and grid upgrades are expensive...
Matched on
terms: connection, grid
Committee recommendation
64match
#9 - Third Report - Fuelling the future: motive power and connectivity
We recommended in our July 2021 report on zero emission vehicles that some of the £950 million rapid charging fund be used to provide fully future-proofed grid capacity, and that the Government work with National Grid to map the electricity network to assess potential weak areas. In October 2021 a proof-of-concept version of a National Energy Systems Map...
Matched on
terms: electricity, grid
Committee recommendation
61match
#13 - Second Report - Renewable energy in Wales
The UK Government should focus on maintaining a close working relationship with the Welsh Government, particularly in regard to major energy systems challenges such a grid capacity and port infrastructure. To facilitate effective collaboration, where renewable energy projects in Wales are under consideration, the UK Government should invite Welsh Government Ministers to attend and participate in the Ministerial...
Matched on
terms: grid
Committee recommendation
61match
#2 - Fourth Report - Renewable energy in Scotland
The grid is critical for renewable energy to reach consumers. Urgent investment is needed in the grid to ensure that net zero targets are met. The grid needs to be reinforced and expanded to ensure that renewable energy generated in Scotland can connect to the grid and benefit the rest of the UK. We recommend that Ofgem completes...
Matched on
terms: grid
Committee recommendation
60match
#24 - First Report - Low emission cars
The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, having assessed a number of different scenarios for meeting net zero by 2050, has estimated that electric cars will increase electricity demand by around 20% by 2050 and we wanted to understand the network’s ability to cope.53 The Department explained that the increase in demand for electric vehicles is set...
Matched on
terms: electricity
Committee recommendation
60match
#12 - Second Report - Renewable energy in Wales
Effective collaboration and co-operation between the UK and Welsh governments will be essential if Wales is to achieve net zero by 2050. Significant issues such as grid capacity and port infrastructure, in particular, require cross-government working if they are to be resolved, and there are a number of key areas where there are common interests and opportunities for...
Matched on
terms: grid
Committee recommendation
57match
#18 - First Report - Grid Capacity in Wales
The UK Government should work with National Grid ESO, NGET, the DNOs and Ofgem to revise consenting processes to align the allocation of grid capacity with the application for planning permission. National Grid’s work should be expedited on reviewing commercial contracts with developers reserving grid capacity, where those projects have consistently failed to achieve planning permission.
Matched on
terms: grid
Committee recommendation
57match
#1 - First Report - Grid Capacity in Wales
We have heard that there are constraints on both the distribution and transmission grids in Wales. Julie James MS told us Wales does not have the grid capacity it needs “right now”. However, Rt Hon Greg Hands MP told us that the grid is “fit for purpose today”. We are concerned by the difference in understanding between the...
Matched on
terms: grid
Committee recommendation
54match
#18 - Thirty-Second Report - Delivering gigabitcapable broadband
We asked the Department when we will see progress on the ground with regards to wayleaves. It told us that although the Electronics Communications Code, which is where the wayleaves issue is addressed, was reformed in 2017, it can go further in ensuring that negotiations between operators and site providers are smoother than they currently are. It explained...
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
53match
#10 - 1st Report - Clean Power by 2030: A fair deal for Scotland?
Grid capacity is one of the biggest barriers to achieving Clean Power by
Matched on
terms: grid
Committee recommendation
52match
#4 - First Report - The future of the planning system in England
We were concerned to hear from organisations related to electricity, nuclear and water infrastructure about the challenges posed by the Government’s proposed reforms. The Government should explain how it sees vital infrastructure being affected by its proposals. This should include whether there would be special designations for such infrastructure and whether it will be possible to comment on...
Matched on
terms: electricity
Committee recommendation
48match
#17 - Thirty-Second Report - Delivering gigabitcapable broadband
Stakeholders also suggested that there were areas where the Department’s approach to removing barriers to rolling out gigabit-capable infrastructure could be strengthened further.53 This was particularly the case regarding “wayleaves,” which are contractual agreements between landowners and telecommunications providers about the right to access property in order to install and maintain electronic communications apparatus.54 We received written evidence...
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
44match
#11 - Thirty-Second Report - Delivering gigabitcapable broadband
The Department has yet to sign the gigabit infrastructure contracts with commercial suppliers under which it would provide public subsidy for them to build in areas that would otherwise not get coverage as they are less commercially viable.31 The dates by 22 Q 17, Virgin Media O2 bolsters future network with fibre upgrade plan - Virgin Media O2...
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
36match
#47 - Require Ofgem to ensure RIIO-ED2 mechanisms enable distribution network investment for low-carbon rollout.
We recommend that when a need for investment in the distribution network becomes clear, Ofgem ensures the uncertainty mechanisms included in the RIIO-ED2 framework are applied efficiently. Should these prove inadequate to respond to a rapid roll-out of low-carbon technologies, Ofgem should take equivalent steps to its ASTI framework to ensure that distribution networks are an enabler not...
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
36match
#15 - Current ultra-rapid charge point benchmark insufficient for future demand and power capacity
The Department stated that there was not necessarily a very scientific underpinning for using six ultra–rapid charge points as its benchmark today, however, meeting charge point demand in the longer term might require much more than this, and in July 2024 only around 10% of motorway service areas in England had the power capacity needed to meet demand...
Matched on
classifier match