- Some projects face 15-year waiting lists to be connected to the network
- UK government revises waiting list requirements to remove unviable applications
- Authorization granted to certain developers to build high voltage lines and substations
The UK government has set out plans to prioritize network connections for projects of strategic importance, recognizing the obstacles some AI data centers currently face.
Demand for connection to the transmission network has increased by 460% in the past six months, and some projects are facing wait times of up to 15 years to get a connection to the network, the government wrote, criticizing significant delays and oversubscribed queues.
As part of this shift, key priority sectors such as AI data centers, AI growth zones, electric vehicle charging centers and electrified industrial sites will all benefit.
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UK government to tackle grid connection delays for key infrastructure
The government says it will also remove speculative or unviable applications from the network connection pipeline to lead the way, introducing tougher requirements for joining or remaining in the queue.
A new Connection Acceleration service is also being launched, with more details expected later this year, which would help some projects gain faster access, with data centers potentially even eligible for discounts on electricity costs.
To relieve some of the pressure on the national grid, the government is also considering allowing some developers to build their own high-voltage lines and substations to further speed up connections.
The National Energy System Operator (NESO) has so far cut the grid connection queue by more than half by prioritizing viable clean energy projects, but the changes could have far bigger implications for the economy, unlocking up to £40bn a year in private investment and saving £5bn in unnecessary grid upgrades.
Kayte O’Neill, NESO’s chief operating officer, wrote: “We are committed to working with government, industry and Ofgem to prioritize strategically important projects, while removing speculative applications. »
Eleanor Warburton, director of energy systems design and development at Ofgem, agreed there was a need to “take bold action to address the growing bottleneck in grid connection demand projects”.
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