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So-called 鈥榸ombie鈥� projects will no longer hold up the queue for connection to the electricity grid to prioritise businesses that will drive growth and deliver energy security.听

Companies are currently waiting up to 15 years to be connected to the grid leaving promising businesses 鈥榞rid-locked鈥�, and over the last 5 years, the grid connection queue has grown tenfold.听听听听听听

The changes will help to kick-start the economy to put more money in working people鈥檚 pockets, the first priority of the government鈥檚 Plan for Change.听

Ofgem is expected to confirm the ambitious new plan later today (Tuesday 15 April), drafted by the National Energy System Operator in partnership with the energy industry.听

The reforms will help unlock 拢40 billion a year of mainly private investment, growing the economy, creating jobs and raising living standards as a key part of the government鈥檚 Plan for Change.听

This builds on the latest figures showing that since July, the clean energy industry is now booming in Britain, with 拢43.7 billion of private investment being announced into the UK鈥檚 clean energy industries.听

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband 蝉补颈诲:听听

Too many companies are facing gridlock because they cannot get the clean energy they need to drive growth and create jobs.听

These changes will axe 鈥榸ombie鈥� projects and cut the time it takes to get high growth firms online while also fast-tracking connections for companies delivering homegrown power and energy security through our Plan for Change.听

In an uncertain world, our message to the global clean energy industry is clear; come and build it in Britain because we are a safe haven. If you want certainty, stability and security when it comes to your investments, choose Britain.

The plan comes after the Prime Minister has said that a new era of global insecurity means that the government must go further and faster reshaping the economy through the Plan for Change, and that this requires a new muscular industrial policy that supports British industry to forge ahead.听听听

Lack of access to grid connections has been a significant factor holding back new investment in UK industries.听听

Under the new changes, industries of the future from data centres and AI, to wind and solar projects, will be accelerated for grid connections.听

That means deprioritising those projects that are not ready or not aligned with strategic plans.听听

New commitments to investing in the UK have topped 拢38 billion since July 2024 for data centres alone, but grid access is the single biggest challenge facing these projects.听

Today鈥檚 reforms will help fast track projects to generate homegrown, renewable electricity into homes and businesses, protecting British billpayers from the rollercoaster of global fossil fuel markets and building an energy system that can bring down bills for good.听听

Delivering these reforms will help unleash 拢40 billion a year of mainly private investment in homegrown clean power projects and infrastructure across the country, creating good jobs across the country including engineers, welders and construction workers.听听

By taking a strategic, planned approach the changes will remove the need for tens of billions of pounds of unnecessary grid reinforcement, saving billpayers 拢5 billion that would have been funded through charges on bills.听

Ofgem CEO, Jonathan Brearley, Chief Executive Officer, Ofgem 蝉补颈诲:听

The proposed connection reforms will supercharge Great Britain鈥檚 clean power ambitions with a more targeted approach anticipated to unlock 拢40 billion a year of investment and energise economic growth.听听听

The reforms would cut through red tape, consign 鈥榸ombie projects鈥� to the past and accelerate homegrown renewable power and energy storage connections as we head to 2030.听听听

Houses and hospitals, electric vehicle charging stations, data centres and the emerging AI sector, would also all benefit from the proposed streamlined fast-track approach, which would help boost energy security and drive down bills.听听听

Kayte O鈥橬eill, Chief Operating Officer, National Energy System Operator, 蝉补颈诲:听听

Reforming the connections process is a key enabler for delivering Clean Power by 2030 and will drive economic growth for Great Britain. Today鈥檚 milestone reflects the close collaboration across the energy industry with support from the government and Ofgem.听听

Together with the wider energy industry, NESO will focus on prioritising agreements for projects that are critical and shovel ready, bringing these to the front of the queue and giving developers the certainty they need to support investment decisions.

Tom Glove, UK Country Chair, RWE said:

RWE has seen a significant proportion of its clean energy projects face delays in connecting to the grid. Without timely access to the grid, developers like RWE are unable to invest in new clean energy projects, capable of powering millions of homes and worth 拢billions to the UK economy.

Dhara Vyas, Chief Executive Energy UK, said:

Connections reform is critical to delivering our clean power future - not just through streamlining the queue, but also by aligning investment, supply chains, and skills development with the Government鈥檚 2030 ambition while giving investors the certainty they need. This infrastructure will enable new businesses and households to connect and existing homes and businesses to meet their energy, heating and transport needs with clean electricity.听It is vital that close engagement with developers, investors and wider stakeholders continues as we see this crucial infrastructure built across the country.听听

Minal Patel, Global Head of Infrastructure, Schroders Capital:

The grid queue contains too many projects, and connecting to it has become unclear and delayed high-quality proposals from being built. As one of the largest investors in UK renewable infrastructure, streamlining the connection process will help Schroders Capital identify projects that are ready and in the right places, so we can help deliver the capital required and investment returns on behalf of our clients.

Richard Ballantyne OBE, Chief Executive, British Ports Association said:

Ports will increasingly need fast grid connections for both the generation of clean power and for electrifying operations and shipping. Speeding up this process will deliver investment and a faster reduction in emissions across the UK.

Ben Fletcher, Chief Operating Officer, Make UK, said:

Grid connectivity is a huge issue for manufacturers, and it has become a real barrier to growth across the whole of the country. Many companies desperate to invest in new infrastructure which would create highly paid jobs nationally are being forced to wait often for years at a time before they can secure connectivity to the Grid.

We have been very supportive of the work being done to prioritise Grid connection for projects that are 鈥渞eady to go鈥� going forward, instead of the current system where there is a strict queuing policy regardless of whether a company is ready or not.

Lawrence Slade, Chief Executive, Energy Networks Association, said:

Ofgem鈥檚 decision to approve once-in-a-generation connections reform will start to clean up the connections queue and unlock Britain鈥檚 renewable power.听

This decision represents an important next step in connections reform, ensuring the connections queue is aligned to the government鈥檚 Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, and allowing for a first ready, first needed, first connected queue.

As we now pivot to implementation of connections reform, the energy networks will continue to work with Ofgem and the UK Government to deliver fast and fair connections for customers.

Alice Delahunty, President of Electricity Transmission, National Grid, said:

Today鈥檚 decision by Ofgem is a key step towards realising Britain鈥檚 clean energy ambitions, and marks the culmination of significant combined efforts across industry, Ofgem and government.

This reform will tackle an oversubscribed connections pipeline, and help give us clarity around future network needs so that we can get the right mix of clean power projects plugged in to the right places to achieve net zero.

Clare Jackson CEO, Hydrogen UK said:

For many of our hydrogen projects, the grid connection process is a limiting factor to the pace at which they can progress which is why we鈥檙e thrilled to see the publication of Ofgem鈥檚 final decision on the connections reform. We need to make things quicker, easier and more cost effective for project developers. If we can do that then we can make the UK one of the very best places in the world to invest in hydrogen.

Barnaby Wharton, Director of Future Electricity Systems, RenewablesUK, 蝉补颈诲:听

We welcome this听confirmation of听decisive action to remove zombie projects from the massive queue for grid connections鈥� Speeding up the process for connecting up new projects could unlock up to 拢15 billion of investment in offshore wind alone by enabling this projects to go live in time to reach the Government鈥檚 target of clean power by 2030, as well as strengthening the UK鈥檚 energy security significantly.听

Roderick MacLeod, Energy Director, Glen Earrach, said:

We welcome the swift action by NESO, Ofgem, and DESNZ to reform the connections queue, prioritising projects crucial for achieving clean power by 2030. This announcement significantly increases the likelihood of GEE delivering first power in 2030, a commitment we firmly maintain.

James Basden, Founding Director, Zenobe:

Batteries have a critical role to play in Britain鈥檚 transition to clean power 鈥� reducing both the need for costly, polluting peakers and the investment in network upgrades whilst improving system reliability. You can see this through Zenob膿鈥檚 Blackhillock project, the largest operational battery in Europe, and our recent decision to invest over 拢200 million into our 400MW Eccles project.

Maintaining such progress depends on the momentum government can provide through ensuring long-term and consistent policy for investors and, in particular, removing blockers to change. Addressing connections reform in a meaningful way is one such example and will help unlock the investment needed to deliver Clean Power 2030听in a cost-effective way.

Notes to editors

• Through the landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill, the government is also bringing forward legislation to support Ofgem and NESO to deliver the reforms.听听听

• Every family and business in the country has paid the price of Britain鈥檚 dependence on foreign fossil fuel markets, which was starkly exposed when Putin invaded Ukraine and British energy customers were among the hardest hit in Western Europe, with bills reaching record heights.鈥�听听听

• The government鈥檚 clean power mission is the solution to this crisis; by sprinting to clean, homegrown energy, including renewables and nuclear, the UK can take back control of its energy and protect both family and national finances from fossil fuel price spikes with cleaner, affordable power.听听

• The Clean Power Action Plan estimated that Clean Power 2030 could require around 拢40 billion of investment on average per year between 2025 to 2030. This includes around 拢30 billion of investment in generation assets per year, estimated by DESNZ, and around 拢10 billion of investment in electricity transmission network assets per year, estimated by NESO.听

• The 拢5 billion savings for billpayers was estimated by Ofgem in their February 2025 Impact Assessment for the TM04+ connections reforms: 听

• In addition to the 拢34.8bn in clean energy private investment announcements secured around the International Investment Summit the following private investments have been announced. This means that since July 2024 the government has seen 拢43.7 billion of private investment announced into the UK鈥檚 clean energy industries: 听听

• National Grid announced that Ofgem approved 鈥�- at 拢4.3 billion it will be the single, largest-ever investment in electricity transmission infrastructure in Great Britain.听

• , , and between them unlock 拢1.75 billion to retrofit social housing backed by guarantees from National Wealth Fund.听

• Government affirmed the successful HAR1 projects in the 2024 Autumn Statement. 听

• Statera Energy announced financial close on 拢395 million debt financing platform for 听听

• Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners announced Financial Investment Decision for and Devilla, battery energy storage system projects in Scotland representing investment of c拢800 million.听

• Renewable energy developer OnPath announced their 听

• Quinbook Infrastructure Partners announced the close of 拢239 million in financing for r Park, the UK鈥檚 largest solar and battery storage project under construction.