Department of Energy and Climate Change

Reference Number: : 10D/567

Open Date: 2010-03-03
Close Date: 2010-04-14 

If the UK is to meet its climate change and renewable energy targets and ensure security of supply, large amounts of renewable and other low carbon generation need to be able to connect to our electricity networks in the next decade. Grid access arrangements can delay or prevent these investments from coming forward. In some cases, new generators have been offered grid connection dates as late as 2025. Timely and effective reform is therefore essential.

Following consultation on the options for grid access reform, the Government is implementing a new enduring regime for grid access. This will enable new generation to connect to the network more quickly thereby removing a key barrier to new renewables. We will implement the ‘Connect and Manage’ regime on from 11 August 2010. This will provide greater certainty for generators about the rules for access to the grid over the long term. As at present, constraint costs will be socialised across generators and suppliers. Further details are given in the Government Response below.

A first consultation on options for grid access reform was undertaken from August-November 2009. Documents relating to both consultations are also below.

Post-consultation documents:

Second Consultation - documents:

Consultation Responses:

First consultation - documents:

Reference Number: 09D/740

Open Date: 2009-08-25
Close Date: 2009-11-17 
 

Consultation Responses:

Stakeholder Workshops

The grid access reform team has held two stakeholder workshops as part of the consultation process. In addition, DECC has held a number of meetings with a cross-section of technical experts from industry to further develop the models outlined in our consultation. Details of all these meetings can be found on the following page.

Modelling the impacts

This is the final version of the analysis undertaken by Redpoint, replacing that published on 14 January 2010.