Joss Ealey

Access to grid is a perennial problem in the UK. In one of the final actions before the dissolution of Parliament, the Environmental Audit Committee, a committee of MPs, highlighted a persistent challenge for renewable energy in the UK: access to the electricity grid. Key issues such as slow connections, limited capacity, restrictive planning regulations, and market uncertainty are stalling progress. Ofgem and National Grid ESO have brought in reforms to try and speed up the system by requiring projects to meet key milestones, with the threat of projects losing their place in the queue. However, the report finds that these changes have not yet reduced the length of the connection queue. 🔍 Committee Recommendations: - The Government and Ofgem should actively monitor and streamline grid connection initiatives. - Ofgem and ESO should review its milestone queue reforms to advance demonstrably ready projects. - Address the planning system bottleneck by equipping local authorities with the necessary resources and expertise to expedite clean energy projects. The findings underscore the urgent need for effective grid solutions to accelerate our transition to a sustainable energy future.

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Consultation on nationally significant infrastructure project #NSIP thresholds amongst other planning questions: - reintroduce onshore wind but set the threshold at 100MW rather than 50MW (Q75) - raise the threshold for solar projects from 50MW to 150MW (Q76) - add data centres, gigafactories and laboratories to the list of business and commercial projects that can opt into the regime, also asking if a threshold should be mentioned (Q64) - make changes to the threshold for water projects (nothing specific proposed, just asking for suggestions) (Q84/85)

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There's many articles about Great British Energy today, but the one below is one of the better ones, pointing out that investment in new clean energy projects needs to be matched with a massively upgraded transmission and distribution network, as well as other solutions such as green #hydrogen and battery storage. But another major obstacle to the Government's plans is the planning system and the delays this can cause. As ever, holistic solutions are required. #GBEnergy #renewables #cleanenergy #netzero https://lnkd.in/dDz9Cx9G

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NSIP reform - 100MW threshold for onshore wind and 150MW for solar The Government's consultation on reforms to the planning system published today includes a proposal (paragraph 10-16 and questions 75-77) to increase the threshold for the categorisation of onshore wind projects as NSIPs to 100MW and for solar projects to 150MW. This addresses an issue very familiar to many of my clients and contacts where the cost of pursing a DCO for "smaller" projects (those which not so long ago would have been "big" projects"!) can be excessive. #nsip #nsipthresholds #onshorewind #solar https://lnkd.in/eBtQhBEG

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It's REMA deadline day! We've got a summary of the latest regulatory and market developments in the UK's transition to net zero to keep you entertained once your REMA responses have gone in:   ⚡ Electricity networks bring forward connection dates of over 200 projects; ⚡ Ofgem and DESNZ publish response to consultation on consumer protection in the heat network; ⚡ Over $24m funding secured for the Xlinks Morocco interconnector project; ⚡ The Great Grid Partnership: National Grid's new initiative to boost UK supply chains; and ⚡"First-of-a-kind" hydropower technology project in Devon announced. #Ofgem #Interconnectors #NationalGrid #HeatNetworks #HydroPower #EnergyTransition

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