Is UK Grid Reform Really Working? - Low Carbon

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Feb 12, 2026

Ed Birkett, New Projects Director at Low Carbon and solar/battery project developer, breaks down the UK grid queue crisis. He explains gate one vs gate two reforms and why connection date uncertainty is delaying critical decisions. He covers battery co‑location, substation siting bottlenecks, and the planning and regulatory hurdles threatening 2030 delivery.

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INSIGHT

Terawatt Queue Broke The Old System

The UK grid queue ballooned to over 1,000 GW because developers could reserve capacity without committing to projects.
Connections reform aims to shrink the queue and prioritise projects that will actually be delivered.

INSIGHT

Gate One Vs Gate Two Explained

Connections reform creates Gate One (non‑priority) and Gate Two (delivery pipeline) offers to prioritise buildable projects.
Gate Two projects get prioritised delivery but Gate One projects keep no reliable right to connect.

ADVICE

De‑Risk Before Final Investment Decision

Developers must wait for Gate Two offers to see the actual terms and curtailment risk before finalising investment decisions.
Engage with networks now to understand likely terms because offers (with conditions) may arrive months later.

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The UK's electricity grid connection queue ballooned to over a Terawatt of projects - far more than the country will ever need, creating delays for renewable energy developers trying to bring solar, wind, and battery storage online. Connections reform was designed to clear this gridlock, but delays in the process are now pushing back critical infrastructure decisions that could make or break the UK's 2030 clean energy targets.

In this episode, Ed Porter speaks with Ed Birkett, New Projects Director at Low Carbon.The conversation explores the current state of connections reform, the challenges facing renewable energy developers navigating the new grid offer system, the critical role of battery storage co-location with solar projects, and why substation siting decisions have become the new bottleneck for getting clean energy projects built on time.

Chapters

- 00:00 - Introduction and connections reform recap

- 01:44 - The 1,000GW grid queue crisis

- 02:04 - Transmission versus distribution network access differences

- 03:21 - Gate one and gate two grid offers explained

- 04:06 - Current status of gate two notifications

- 05:28 - Connection date uncertainty and timeline delays

- 07:39 - September deadline for final grid offers

- 09:15 - Co-location of batteries with solar projects

- 11:42 - Why Ofgem removed batteries from solar schemes

- 14:58 - Network capacity constraints and upgrade costs

- 17:25 - Active network management and curtailment solutions

- 20:33 - Distribution versus transmission network capacity planning

- 23:47 - Industry response to battery removal decisions

- 26:19 - The business case for solar-battery portfolios

- 29:51 - Substation siting challenges and planning delays

- 32:44 - National Grid's role in new infrastructure

- 35:16 - Summer solar generation and negative prices

- 38:16 - How solar projects price curtailment risk

- 40:10 - Next steps for connections reform implementation

- 42:02 - Critical path issues for 2030 delivery

- 43:24 - Contrarian view: using existing networks better