Transmission What’s Really Stopping UK Solar? - IG Renewables
Feb 19, 2026
Matt Black, Managing Director of IG Renewables and Chair of Solar Energy UK, brings hands-on experience building and financing UK solar. He unpacks the connections reform and the Gate Two shakeout. He discusses M&A and who will actually deliver projects. He covers co-located batteries, the 60GW delivery challenge, workforce gaps, and the rise of rooftop and balcony solar.
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Connections Reform Is Only The Start
- Clearing the connections queue was necessary but not sufficient to trigger immediate builds across the UK.
- Gate Two offers will cause a secondary shakeout as projects learn exact costs, locations and timings.
Huge M&A Wave Ahead
- Many gate-two projects are currently owned by developers who lack capital or delivery structures.
- This will force accelerated M&A so projects migrate to firms that can finance and build them.
Connection Details Drive Valuation
- Project value remains highly uncertain because connection location, cost and timing are unknown until formal offers arrive.
- That uncertainty will drive attrition and complicate sales or purchases of sites.