National Grid to lose powers if slow connections continue

THE energy watchdog is to warn National Grid it must fix “unacceptable” delays in connecting up solar farms and wind turbines or face losing its infrastructure planning powers.

Jonathan Brearley, chief executive of Ofgem, will say in a speech today that a decade-long waiting list for energy projects seeking a link to Britain’s grid is threatening the race to net zero.

Ministers want the grid to be carbonfree by 2035, meaning all power will need to be generated by renewables, batteries, nuclear energy or hydrogen.

But Mr Brearley will warn that this target is at risk of being missed. He will tell National Grid, the private monopoly that operates and owns the main transmission network, to fix the problem within two years or face tough reforms.

It is understood these could include stripping National Grid of its role in planning when network upgrades take place, and handing this to an independent body. The warning comes amid a backlog of energy projects – from batteries to solar and wind farms – seeking to be connected to the electricity grid, with some that applied recently told they will not be linked until the 2030s.

National Grid has blamed the issue on archaic rules that mean it must deal with applications on a “first come, first serve” basis, as well as regulations that stop it from upgrading the network based on anticipated future demand.

‘The connections regime is not fit for purpose if we are to end fossil fuel power within 12 years’

Speaking at the Utility Week Live conference, Mr Brearley will say: “Polite queuing may be in the very best of British traditions – but the first come, first served connections regime is not fit for purpose if we are to end fossil fuel power within 12 years.”

National Grid ESO said changes being made now would mean that the connection date for 70 per cent of projects in the pipeline is moved forward by between two and 10 years.