Regen has written to the National Energy System Operator, urging it to prioritise raising the Transmission Impact Assessment threshold in England and Wales from 1 MW to 5 MW as a code modification within the ongoing connections reform – essential to support community and local energy projects and ensure alignment with the government’s clean energy goals.
Following our letter to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero expressing concerns that the current requirement for projects over 1 MW to align with Clean Power 2030 could unintentionally exclude community energy projects, Regen was pleased to see a proposal to increase this threshold to 5 MW in the October Connections Delivery Board minutes and the Clean Power Plan.
This practical step would enable more community and local projects to advance without unnecessary barriers. However, we are concerned about the lack of clear timelines for implementing this change to the Transmission Impact Assessment threshold in England and Wales.
With the Gate 2 grid connection process scheduled for May 2025, we have written to Matthew Vickers, NESO’s director of connections reform, urging this code modification to be enacted as a priority. Our letter also calls on Ofgem to approve it within this timeframe.
Not doing so would risk hindering the implementation of the government’s Local Power Plan and missing a critical opportunity to involve communities across the UK in the clean energy transition.
Looking ahead, we also recommend exploring further reforms to accommodate projects over 5 MW. This would ensure that the government’s 8 GW Local Power Plan target can be achieved, maximising the benefits of clean energy for communities.
Our letter reflects a shared commitment to ensuring that the energy transition is inclusive, community-driven, and aligned with ambitious national goals. We will continue to work closely with NESO, Ofgem and other stakeholders to advocate for the necessary changes.
Members can join our next Grid Connections Working Group on 20 March.