UK Approves Grid-Queue Overhaul in Race to Clean Up Power System

(Bloomberg) -- UK energy regulator Ofgem approved an overhaul of the way grid linkups are managed, a crucial step to accelerating clean-power projects.

The government will replace the “first come, first served” system with an assessment of each project’s readiness and importance for delivering 2030 clean-energy goals. That means almost two-thirds of projects currently in the queue will get shifted to lower-priority status, according to the regulator.

“The proposed connection reforms will supercharge Great Britain’s clean-power ambitions,” Ofgem Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Brearley said in a statement on Tuesday. “Houses and hospitals, electric-vehicle charging stations, data centers and the emerging AI sector would also all benefit from the proposed streamlined, fast-track approach.”

The UK paused applications to join the grid queue while the new rules were being finalized. The National Energy System Operator will inform developers of their status starting in September.

The current connection system, with many developers waiting more than a decade for a linkup, is seen as untenable if the government is to have any chance of meeting its target for a zero-carbon grid by the end of the decade.

There were about 765 gigawatts of projects waiting in the queue at the end of February. Ofgem will also designate a number of energy-intensive users such as manufacturers and data centers as “needed” consumers, giving them priority grid access.

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