Regen has written to the UK’s new Electricity Networks Commissioner to draw attention to the urgency of addressing the constraints on the network if the UK is to achieve net zero and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.
3 August 2022
Electricity network barriers to net zero, energy security and lower customer bills
Regen’s members inform us that almost all projects over 1 MW seeking to connect to the distribution network are facing delays of up to a decade due to capacity constraints at the transmission level.
Our assessment is that this is now a key barrier to delivering on the UK government’s targets for low carbon technologies including renewable energy generation, electricity storage and electric vehicle rapid chargers.
Tackling this urgent challenge requires:
- much faster investment in the transmission network;
- a CEO-led joined up plan from the networks and system operator to put in place practical measures to address constraints, such as better queue management and flexible connection offers.
Regen has written to the new Electricity Networks Commissioner urging that the government make addressing transmission constraints for projects connecting at distribution level a key priority, working with the system operator, networks and regulator.