Chris Skidmore has said evidence that companies are facing waits of up to a decade for grid connections is “shocking” and “absolutely mind blowing”.
At the launch on Monday (16 January) of his independent review of net zero delivery, which had been published on Friday last week, the former energy minister said electricity network upgrades are key to wider efforts to decarbonise the energy system.
“We can have these targets for giga wattage outcomes but none of this is going to be a reality unless we look at what is an antiquated grid structure.
“It was just shocking that we’ve seen people come to us in the review with evidence that grid connections won’t be available until 2033. They want to get going now. It’s just absolutely mind blowing that should be the reality.
“They have to be unblocked”, he said, pointing towards his review’s support for Ofgem to have a net zero duty.
Utility Week reported claims by Orsted last month that in 2021 it was offered a 2033 grid connection for an offshore wind farm it is planning to develop.
Highlighting his report’s recommendation for a new Office for Net Zero Delivery to co-ordinate action on climate change across Whitehall, Skidmore said certain departments are “dragging their heels” on the issue.
Ben Wilson, chief strategy officer for National Grid, said during a panel discussion at the launch that three measures would enable the network to ensure the government’s 2030 energy decarbonisation targets can be hit.
He said these are allowing networks to undertake anticipatory investment, offering benefits to communities in exchange for granting planning consents and more flexibility to prioritise projects in the queue for grid connections.
Wilson said: “We need to look at the connections process. At the moment, we have to deal with connections on a strictly ‘first come, first served’ basis. Reform of that would allow us to accelerate projects, which are hitting their milestones and get them on much more quickly.”