The UK system operator, National Energy System Operator (NESO), has announced a new fast-track pipeline of energy projects for connection to Great Britain’s electricity networks (NESO press release, 08/12/2025).
The NESO has decided to move "from a first-come, first-served model to one that prioritises projects ready to meet Great Britain’s energy and economic needs." Under the existing model, the grid access queue has grown tenfold in five years, reaching over 700 GW, roughly four times Great Britain’s projected electricity demand by 2030. Under the new framework, wind and solar parks, battery storage, and hydrogen projects will be evaluated for inclusion in 283 GW of generation and storage capacity and 99 GW of transmission-connected demand, NESO said.
This clearly defined set of deliverable projects will serve as the anchor of the pipeline. The first batch of protected projects, aiming for connections in 2026–2027, will receive formal offers with confirmed connection dates throughout December 2025 and 2026. Remaining offers are expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2026.
NESO added: “Projects seeking to reapply for inclusion in the connections process will be able to do so from late 2026. To qualify, they must demonstrate readiness to progress and strategic alignment with the Government’s Clean Power Action Plan.”
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