Connections Reform

26 August - NESO connections reform evidence submission window is now closed

As of 23:59 on Tuesday 26 August, the NESO connections reform evidence submission window is now closed, and no new submissions can be made. DNOs have also completed their evidence gathering.

With the window now closed, we will begin initial checks on all submitted evidence. Customers will begin receiving communications about the results no earlier than Thursday 28 August. Further information on initial checks can be found here. 

Should any project fail initial checks, customers will receive an email with detailed feedback and clear instructions for the resubmission process.

Reforming the grid connections process is a multi-year initiative that will allow clean energy projects to connect faster, creating a better environment for the £40bn annual private investment opportunity for clean power and infrastructure across Great Britain.

We are incredibly sorry that some customers have experienced challenges with the administration of our connections portal and delays in our response to incoming queries.

Our teams have worked tirelessly to resolve these issues, acting on customer feedback and addressing outstanding queries. Thank you for bearing with us, we are incredibly grateful for your support and feedback.

19 August - Notice of initial checks communication

Today NESO is giving five working days’ notice ahead of the first communications about the results of initial checks as part of the Connections Reform process.

The five days will start at 00:01 Wednesday 20 August. This means the first possible date customers will receive any results of the initial checks on their evidence submissions will be Thursday 28 August. Some customers will be informed on 28 August and others will be notified later.

As a reminder, this is the point in the process when customers will be told if they have passed or failed the initial checks. In the event of any failures, customers will be invited to resubmit evidence to rectify any failed checks. You can find out more about the resubmission process in our Connections Reform Essentials Document.

We will provide further updates on initial check completion timings as soon as we are able.

11 August - Update on Connections Reform evidence window, from Kayte O’Neill, Chief Operating Officer

Thank you for standing with us, your persistence and feedback have been invaluable, and we want to acknowledge the effort you’ve made to stay engaged and keep moving forward. We’re truly sorry for the disruption and the impact it’s had on your confidence in the system.

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4 August 2025 - Statement on evidence collection process, from Matt Magill, Director of Engineering & Customer Solutions Transformation 

We want to extend our sincere thanks to all our customers for their continued engagement, patience, and perseverance during the connections reform evidence submission process. We fully acknowledge the concerns and disruption this process has caused and are truly sorry for the impact it has had on your time, resources, and confidence in the system.

We have been working hard to address portal functionality and data inconsistencies, and we’re seeing real progress. 779 projects out of 1800 across the full range of technologies have now completed the submission process successfully, which is encouraging and a testament to the collective effort across the industry.

We have heard clearly from customers and trade associations that they can see the improvements being made. They would also welcome more time for  changes to bed in and confidence to build before we issue the 10 working days' notice. That is why we are confirming today that notice will not be given any earlier than Monday 11 August. We trust this provides clarity and avoids the uncertainty of a day-by-day approach. We deeply appreciate the constructive feedback and support from across the industry. It is helping us shape a better process and ensure that no one is left behind.

The new connections process will allow us to connect clean energy projects more quickly, creating a better environment for private investment and provide certainty about where and when projects will be able to connect.

If you have not yet attempted to submit, we urge you to get started now and not leave it any longer. Early submission gives us the best chance to support you effectively and resolve any issues that may arise, so please do continue to raise queries where needed.

Our support teams remain fully mobilised, and we are committed to doing whatever it takes to get every customer through the process; portal issues will not be the reason why any project is unable to take part in G2TWQ.

Together, we’re driving forward a more efficient and future-ready connections process, your partnership is central to that progress.

25 July 2025 - Update on Connections Reform process from Kayte O’Neill, Chief Operating Officer

Thank you to all our customers who have shared feedback on the connections reform application process, whether through open letters, during our webinar, or via email. Your input has been both constructive and candid, and we sincerely appreciate your engagement. We are truly sorry for any disruption and frustration that you have experienced. We have listened carefully to your feedback and concerns about the process.   

Since launching the connections portal, our staff have been working to resolve issues that have affected your ability to submit your application. Restoring confidence in the process remains our top priority. To build on the progress we are making against these areas, we have deployed additional resource to resolve outstanding challenges. 

We have made significant progress on resolving these issues over the past two weeks - it is important that you share this confidence. We encourage all customers to continue to submit applications early and raise any queries they have so we can provide support as early as possible.  Your feedback is vital, and we are committed to supporting you throughout this process.  

Over the next week we will continue to fix and stabilise the portal and resolve any data issues brought to our attention. We are allowing sufficient time to ensure that the portal is delivering as expected. We will give 10 working days’ notice before the window closes. This notice will be issued no earlier than 4 August 2025.  We share our customers’ view that it is important that all have a reasonable opportunity to submit their application and supporting evidence. We have planned time for checks and clarifications on your evidence submissions- again we appreciate early submission which helps us to help you.   

DNOs’ portals remain functional and they are encouraging customers to submit as soon as possible. However, to ensure equal opportunities for submission exist for Distribution and Transmission connected customers, DNOs have agreed to mirror NESO’s arrangements for an extension.

We will be providing further details including specific guidance for those customers who have already submitted applications prior to some portal updates being in place. We will be ensuring that customers who have already submitted have the opportunity to review and amend their submission.  

We sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding. We will keep you updated throughout this process. Thank you for your support. 

16 July 2025 - Open letter to industry from Kayte O’Neill

Dear All, 

Thank you for your feedback on the Connections Reform Evidence Submission Window process over the past week. We are listening to the points you are raising and understand the challenges many of you are experiencing with the Connections Portal. Let me start by saying that we are truly sorry for the concern and disruption this is causing. The matter has my full attention, along with the support of the executive leadership team, and substantial extra resource has been allocated to this work within NESO.

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