#69 Grid News and Views 15 - Has Connections Reform really failed?

NESO's unveiling of the new queue last Monday came with the surprising announcement that very few projects have been considered for advancement, with several DNOs announcing on the same day that all advancement requests for embedded projects in their networks had been rejected. In this Connectology® episode, Connectologists® Pete Aston, Alex Ikonic, Nikki Pillinger, and Catherine Cleary explore the capacity realities across different technologies, the surprising lack of advancement opportunities, and the tight timelines developers now face.

Technology specific results were much as expected and in the most competitive pots such as battery storage and Scottish onshore wind only projects which have already gained planning consent have made it into the new queue. Onshore wind remains the only technology with meaningful remaining headroom in England and Wales for future Gate 2 windows.

The podcast explores:

Advancement disappointment: Why very few projects received advancement despite numerous requests, with distribution projects seeing none—particularly surprising given DNOs and transmission operators had already held positive engineering conversations on specific schemes

Critical timelines ahead: Protected customers receive offers January-March, with all 2030 offers by end Q2. Several DNOs require acceptance within four weeks, with securities potentially needed upfront before DNOs sign their own transmission offers

What's next: SSEP delay to end 2027 means next year's windows limited to unfilled capacity. Built projects with January 2026 energization dates now face multi-year delays from failed enabling works delivery.

The team also discusses the confirmed Project Commitment Fee structure and emphasizes the dedication of DNO connection teams working past midnight to deliver notifications under intense pressure.

Recorded 10 December 2025

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