Connections Reform Results

Great Britain’s energy system has turned a corner. For years, outdated rules left projects stuck in a queue that had grown to over 700GW, four times what’s needed by 2030. Now, that era ends. NESO, working with government, Ofgem and industry, has delivered a re-ordered pipeline that prioritises shovel-ready projects and future needs like solar farms, data centres, and EV superhubs.  

This page gives you the detail behind the reform: 

• Permitted capacity by technology type
• Overview of old and new connections queue make up
• High level information of Solar, Batteries and Onshore wind results by region  

The old system left shovel-ready projects waiting for up to 10 years. The queue grew to four times what’s needed by 2030, creating uncertainty and slowing investment. 

This is the backlog we’ve cleared to unlock Great Britain’s clean energy future. 

NESO worked hand-in-hand with government, Ofgem, industry, investors, and customers to design Connections Reform. Over 60 industry workgroups, 1500 applications reviewed in just 5 months, and 172 consultation responses show the scale of collaboration. This open, transparent process secured broad support from all groups and Ofgem approval in April 2025, ensuring the reforms truly reflect Great Britain’s needs. 

This chart shows how many different types of energy - including offshore wind, onshore wind, solar, and nuclear – will connect to Great Britain’s electricity grid in the future. 

• The dot on each bar shows how much of that type of energy is needed under CP30.
• The blue part shows what we need by 2030 as part of CP30 permitted capacity.
• The green part shows what we’ll need by 2035 as part of CP30 permitted capacity. 

By focusing on what’s needed, when it’s needed, we’re ensuring Great Britain’s grid is ready to meet growing future demands, enabling economic growth, deliver a secure energy system and pave the way to a sustainable energy future. 

This is a major step forward ensuring our electricity network is built where it’s needed most, and that the grid is ready to meet future needs of consumers across the whole of Great Britain. 

This process of reordering the connections pipeline is only stage one in a longer reform process. We now have a clear and accurate picture of what GB needs in the coming years and where there is market opportunity for new projects. 

The graph below illustrates how each technology type aligns against its permitted capacity. It highlights where technologies are oversupplied, at capacity, or undersupplied, and indicates which areas remain open for future applications.  

This gives a clear comparison between the capacity thresholds and the volume of projects that will get connections offers, helping our customers understand market dynamics and identify opportunities for the next application window. 

What is a Zone?

The zones reflected here align to those set out in the UK Government Clean Power 2030 Action Plan. The zones relate to system operation boundaries rather than universally recognisable national or regional boundaries. 

Across Great Britain there are 8 Distribution Network Operator Zones (which cover local electricity networks, think of these as the A and B roads). There are also 11 Transmission Operator Zones (which cover the big, national power lines that move electricity long distances across the country, think of these like the motorways of the electricity network). 

Each zone has its own limits on how much new energy can be connected, and these limits are set separately for different types of technology—batteries (which store electricity), solar (which generates power from sunlight), and onshore wind (which uses wind turbines on land). 

Zones are important because they help make sure the electricity grid isn’t overloaded in any one area, and that the right types of energy projects are built where they’re most useful. This careful system planning helps deliver a secure energy system, drive consumer value and pave the way to a sustainable energy future. 

Alongside these operational zones, we also show how today’s connection results align with the Strategic Energy Planning RESP nation and region boundaries. These RESP areas are used purely for contextual mapping and do not replace the operational zones used for connection decisions.

What Changed? 

The Connections Reform Previously, the way new energy projects got connected to the grid was based on a long waiting list, a queue. Projects joined in order, and whoever was first in line got connected first, even if their project wasn’t actually ready to build. This led to delays, wasted resources, and sometimes unnecessary network upgrades that cost consumers money. 

Now, thanks to connections reform, the rules have changed. Instead of “first come, first served,” the system now prioritises projects that are both ready to build and genuinely needed for Great Britain’s future energy and economic goals. 

This means:

• The right projects are built in the right places,
• The grid remains secure and isn’t overloaded,
• Consumers are protected from paying for unnecessary network upgrades,
• Great Britain can achieve its clean energy goals. 

While RESP areas will support long‑term strategic energy planning, they do not influence connection pipeline positions or project prioritisation today. Their inclusion here is for transparency, to help users understand how existing activity aligns to more widely recognisable nation and region boundaries.

In summary, zones and connections reform work together to make sure new batteries, solar farms, and wind turbines are added to the grid in a smart, efficient way—helping Britain build a cleaner, more reliable energy system for everyone.

Disclaimer: This map is for illustrative purposes only and shows aggregated data at a high level. It does not include detailed breakdowns published elsewhere, such as the phased impacts of reform or how technology and capacity shift between zones during balancing and substitution. It also does not reflect updates on the progression of specific customer connections. For the latest information on connections, please refer to the TEC Register. We have updated the story map to allow data to also be displayed at a nations and regions level using RESP boundaries.