The UK’s electricity system operator (ESO) has announced initial proposals aimed at expediting project timelines and improving the efficiency of the country’s energy infrastructure.
This builds upon the existing First Ready, First Connected approach, extending it retroactively to projects in the queue.
The goal is to accelerate connections for viable projects by adjusting entry requirements, removing stalled projects and optimising network capacity allocation.
Projects in the queue will be evaluated against new criteria, with successful ones given the option to retain their original connection date or request an accelerated one.
With a surge in the transmission connections queue since October 2022, ESO aims to implement these reforms by January 2025, pending regulatory approval, collaborating closely with Ofgem and industry stakeholders.