Open letter from DESNZ and Ofgem: expectations and ambition for Connections Reform to deliver Clean Power 2030
Published 11 November 2025
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Transmission Network Owners, Distribution Network Owners and other interested parties
Dear Colleagues,
Thank you for your continued efforts on implementing the new reformed connections process under Connections Reform. While progress has been made, significant future effort is required to deliver the outcomes required for consumers, industry, and the country. This letter sets out our expectations for the next phase of Connections Reform, and the responsibilities of network companies alongside NESO in delivering it.
Ofgem’s April 2025 decision on Connections Reform took the step of transforming the connections process to meet the needs of a rapidly evolving energy system and align to Government’s Clean Power 2030 mission[footnote 1]. Facilitating timely and needed grid connections is vital if we are to achieve clean power by 2030, as well as being crucial for stimulating economic growth and reducing costs for consumers. These objectives underpin the reforms and remain central to both government and regulatory policy.
Delivery of Connections Reform is now well underway, with the next stage, the delivery of ‘Gate 2 to Whole Queue’ offers, now approaching[footnote 2]. This stage, where developers will receive updated connection offers within the new connections process, is pivotal to the success of the programme and to securing the benefits we expect to achieve.
Reform must succeed in order to deliver clean power by 2030 and beyond. Our shared ability to deliver the Clean Power 2030 pathway depends on the ambition and quality of the offers issued by NESO and Distribution Network Operators, which in turn rely on the timely and ambitious delivery of enabling infrastructure and information from Transmission Owners. The needs of connecting parties are equally critical: Connection offers should be developed in dialogue with the connecting generation and storage and – within the boundaries of the reform – strive to meet their needs.
The outcome must be updated connection offers which are compatible with Clean Power 2030 and take account of what developers want, reflecting a clear commitment by all networks to both ambitious and reliable delivery of connections. We will continue to engage closely with NESO and all networks operators on Connections Reform implementation, and intend to track the dates offered closely to ensure that this is the case.
Similarly, everything possible must be done to ensure existing connection dates are protected for those projects expecting to connect in 2026/27 as per the plan, noting that near term delivery is a significant challenge and we are aware of the limitations relating to some projects raised by the network companies or developers.
You will also be aware of Ofgem’s ongoing connections end-to-end review, which is seeking to strengthen the regulatory framework around connections to drive higher standards of service and enable timelier connections[footnote 3]. We have always been clear that we need both a reformed connections process, and stronger regulations through the end-to-end review, to deliver the connections we need on an enduring basis. The review itself places a strong emphasis on the need for quality and ambitious connection offers, and on the importance of network companies delivering connections to agreed timelines. This is consistent with the action needed to achieve Clean Power 2030 as already discussed.
Ofgem expects to publish its next phase of proposals as part of the end-to-end review in the coming weeks. We urge you to take note of the direction of travel already set out by the review now, by ensuring that 1) high-quality and ambitious connection offers that strive to meet the needs of connecting parties are issued under the ‘Gate 2 to Whole Queue’ process, and 2) those projects are delivered on time. Early action now will be critical to achieving the intended outcomes of the review.
We recognise that delivering the network infrastructure to facilitate customer connections will be a significant undertaking. That is why this government and Ofgem have brought forward an ambitious package of legislative and regulatory reform to help accelerate build times. These actions will provide a strong platform of support and regulatory certainty for network companies to deliver at the scale and pace required.
We cannot stress highly enough the need for all three objectives - quality and ambitious connection offers which strive to meet developer needs, the timely delivery of the reformed process, and projects delivered on time - to be achieved in parallel, to deliver the shared goal of Clean Power 2030. All parties - both individual network companies and NESO - have a critical role in driving this required ambition.
Thank you once again for your hard work and determination in driving these reforms forward. We are confident that, by working together and maintaining a clear focus on ambition and delivery, we can achieve the truly transformative outcomes required to deliver Clean Power 2030. We look forward continued progress along this shared journey.
Minister Shanks
Eleanor Warburton