LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s energy regulator announced rules on Monday to help speed up the connection of new power projects to the grid and clear so-called zombie projects from the connection queue.
Britain has a target to decarbonise its power sector by 2035 which will require many more renewable power plants such as wind and solar which will also need to be connected to the country’s electricity grid.
Regulator Ofgem said the current “first come first served” process for grid connection has led to a long queue of projects with a backlog of up to 15 years.
Under the new rules projects in the connection queue that have stalled or are unlikely to be built will be stripped out, making room for the viable projects.
“We want new power on the grid as quickly as possible, so if you’re ready, you can connect sooner. If you’re not ready and are blocking the progress of others, you’ll be removed,” Eleanor Warburton, Ofgem’s Deputy Director for Institutions for Net Zero Energy Systems Management and Security said.
The new queue management system will be operated by grid operator, National Grid’s Electricity System Operator, from Nov. 27, Ofgem said.
(Reporting By Susanna Twidale; editing by David Evans)
