Connections Reform is a major overhaul of the UK’s electricity grid connection process, led by the National Energy System Operator (NESO)
Why has there been a Connections Reform?
There was a need for connections reform from NESO as the existing national queue exceeded 800GW, which far surpassed the 250GW of renewable energy connections required to meet the UK’s net zero target.
Reform reverts away from the existing ‘first come, first served model’ to overcome bottleneck projects which were not planning-ready and blocked up the queue, halting progress for new connections.
What changes have been made?
The new ‘first ready and needed, first connected’ approach announced at the end of 2025, prioritises connections which are ready; where the land is secured and there is clear planning progress, and needed; where projects strategically align with technological and spatial requirements outlined in the Government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan.
Customer applications which meet these criteria will be assigned as Gate 2 projects which are ready for connection, or Gate 1 which are not ready and are lower priority.
If Gate 2 projects fail to meet planning or strategic objectives, they risk termination from the queue, freeing capacity for other projects. Gate 1 projects are able to reapply in future windows but will need to demonstrate project readiness and strategic alignment. Assuming a Gate 1 project receives a Gate 2 offer, the project would join the next available position at the end of the connection queue.
The new connection queue applies to utility scale projects e.g. solar PV which are at least 5MW, while smaller installations are out of NESO’s scope as they bypass the transmission impact assessment. These small-scale projects follow a separate framework and assuming the application is successful, will receive an offer with a specific connection point and date.
Regional summary
National Grid Energy Distribution (NGED) is the UK’s largest regional electricity distributor and its area encompasses the South West, Midlands and Wales. Here is a summary of the regional ~19 GW connection queue:
Gate 2 (Phase 1) – connections by 2030
· Solar PV – 6.5 GW
· Onshore wind – 0.6 GW
· Battery – 2.5 GW
Gate 2 (Phase 2) – connections from 2031 to 2035
· Solar PV – 3.5 GW
· Onshore wind – 0.4 GW
· Battery – 5 GW
Key dates
· Phase 1 offers (pre-2030) will be made at latest by Q2 2026.
· Phase 2 offers (post-2030) will be made at latest by Q3 2026.
· New application window expected late 2026.
Stakeholder Considerations
For future projects, early engagement with NGED is critical to ensure there is sufficient availability for grid connections and avoid wasted planning effort, time and money. NGED can help to facilitate projects by offering connection surgeries and pre-application guidance.
If you have questions about grid connections and your project please contact the Hub .