Connections Reform and your project

Put simply, Connections Reform means that projects which are ‘ready to connect’ to the network and that support the UK Government’s Clean Power 2030 goals will now be prioritised, ahead of those which although further up the queue, are not currently ready to move forward (or aligned to Clean Power 2030).

The projects affected by these reforms will be those seeking to connect to local Distribution networks, and where what’s known as a Transmission Impact Assessment (TIA) will need to be carried out. TIAs are generation or storage projects of 5MW or above in England and Wales, 200kW in Scotland and 50KW on Scotland's islands.

Now the reforms are going ahead, we we're assessing what projects are ready to connect, and if they align with the Regional Capacity Quotas as set out by the UK Government in its 'Clean Power 2030' targets.

• Review the evidence provided in line with the checks required under TM04+.

• Share the information you provide to us with NESO. Once their portal opens, NESO will then validate the evidence and reorder the connections queue.

• Inform customers whether NESO has confirmed they have met the Gate 2 criteria. As NESO confirms timelines for its review, we will communicate these to you.

Please note, that advancement requests will result in a fee being charged by NESO of £11,250 per GSP. We will spread this fee across all customers who are deemed to be Gate 2 ready at the GSP, upon issuance of your varied contract'

Along with other Distribution Network Operators, we opened our evidence portal on 20 May for customers with existing agreements to submit their applicable evidence, and customers should start preparing for this now. The evidence customers will need to submit is detailed within NESO’s Gate 2 Criteria Methodology. This will depend on whether you have land rights or planning for your site:

Land rights

• Three-year option with a lease; or

• Existing ownership of the site; or

• Existing lease

In addition, you'll need a red line boundary showing the location, installed capacity and minimum acreage. NESO’s guidance on minimum acreage is available on the link below

LoA Guidance

Planning

• Proof of Development consent order planning (DCO)

In addition, you'll need a red line boundary showing the location, installed capacity and minimum acreage. NESO’s guidance on minimum acreage is available below

Readiness declaration template

NESO and Distribution Network Operators like SSEN have been developing detailed guidance to support customers in submitting evidence. This is available to view here. This was also sent to affected customers and made available on our portal.