Great Britain's grid connection queue is being reordered under the Ofgem-approved Gate 2 reforms, which replace first-come, first-served with tests of readiness and strategic alignment. NESO confirmed a reformed pipeline of 283 GW of generation and storage in December 2025, but issuing offers has slipped, with the first-phase deadline extended to 31 October 2026. A firm connection date matters because developers usually need one before they can raise finance.
Why the connection queue became a problem
Until the recent reform, connections to Great Britain's electricity network were allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Applying was cheap, so speculative projects could join the queue and hold a place without being ready to build. According to the National Energy System Operator, the transmission queue grew tenfold in five years to more than 700 GW, roughly four times the capacity Great Britain is projected to need by 2030.
The consequence was that projects which were ready to build found themselves stuck behind others that might never go ahead. A project cannot export or import power until the network operator has capacity ready, and that often depends on new substations or lines being built first. The queue therefore became a barrier to delivery rather than a simple waiting list.
How the Gate 2 reform works
The reformed process, approved by Ofgem, replaces first-come, first-served with two tests. The readiness test checks whether a project has secured the rights to the land it needs. The strategic alignment test checks whether the project fits the technology and regional mix set out in the government's Clean Power 2030 plan. Projects that pass both receive a Gate 2 offer with a firm connection date.
In December 2025 NESO confirmed a reformed pipeline of 283 GW of generation and storage, plus 99 GW of transmission-connected demand. Projects that did not make the cut can reapply in later rounds. Ofgem has also introduced financial and readiness tests in its demand connections reforms, which respond to a queue that grew from 41 GW to 125 GW in under a year and extend across all demand sectors, including projects already holding a connection offer.
Timetable slippage and financing
Issuing the new offers has taken longer than planned. Ofgem has twice extended the deadline for the first phase of offers, most recently to 31 October 2026, and second-phase offers are due by 31 January 2027. A firm connection date matters because developers usually need one before they can raise finance, so slippage in the timetable directly affects when battery projects can be built.
Charging for queue positions has also been discussed. A September 2026 industry headline reported a proposal of up to GBP25,000 per MW as a fee to clear the battery storage grid queue, indicating that financial tests for holding a place form part of the wider debate. Ofgem's demand connections reforms already introduce financial and readiness tests, which are confirmed to extend across all demand sectors.
Wider grid reform and planning decisions
The connection queue is not the only area of reform. The government has created Great British Grid, a publicly owned entity operating within Great British Energy, to accelerate network infrastructure and to fast-track competitive tendering for transmission projects. Working with NESO and Ofgem, it says more than 300 GW of speculative capacity is being removed, and cites similar reforms in Ireland that reduced connection times by up to 11 months.
Investment needs are large. NESO's July 2026 update to its 2024 Beyond 2030 recommendations set out roughly GBP89bn of spending across the 2030s to upgrade the electricity grid, a 53% increase on the 2024 plan, with demand forecast to rise by more than 30% by the mid-2030s. On the consenting side, the Steeple Renewables Project in Nottinghamshire, comprising about 450MW of solar and about 150MW of battery storage, was granted development consent in October 2026.
Key Takeaways
Great Britain's transmission connection queue grew tenfold in five years to more than 700 GW, about four times the capacity projected to be needed by 2030.
The Ofgem-approved Gate 2 process replaces first-come, first-served with a readiness test and a strategic alignment test against the Clean Power 2030 plan.
In December 2025 NESO confirmed a reformed pipeline of 283 GW of generation and storage plus 99 GW of transmission-connected demand.
First-phase Gate 2 offers were extended to 31 October 2026, with second-phase offers due by 31 January 2027.
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