Planning a bigger grid connection? Why it pays to start the conversation early

If you're thinking about a new production line, electric heating, charging points for your vans or an extension to your site, there's one question worth asking before anything else: can the grid give you the power you need, and when?

On 28th October the government confirmed how it will manage the queue for new and bigger electricity connections. GOV.UK: the government's response

What's changing

• The government will be able to move projects it sees as strategically important, such as data centres and some large industrial sites, nearer the front of the queue.
• Capacity freed up when stalled projects drop out can be handed to those priority projects, and future capacity can be reserved for them.
• New data centre connections after 2030 will be matched to regional plans.
• Ofgem is consulting on a fee for data centres joining the queue, to put off speculative applications. Computer Weekly's summary

Why it matters if you don't run a data centre

These rules mainly apply to the very largest projects connecting to the national high-voltage network. Most businesses connect through their local network operator, so you're unlikely to be directly affected. But it's a clear sign of how tight grid capacity has become. In March the government said demand for these connections had grown by 460% in six months, with some projects facing waits of up to 15 years. GOV.UK: March announcement

Our suggestion

• If growth or electrification is in your three-to-five-year plan, ask your local network operator early what capacity your site has, and what an upgrade might cost and how long it would take.
• Look at what you can do on site first. Solar, a battery or moving some use away from the busiest times can reduce how much extra grid capacity you need.
• If you're a manufacturer with a project the grid is holding back, ask whether the government's Connections Accelerator Service could help.

If you'd like help working out how much power your plans really need and the options for getting it, we're happy to have a quick, no-obligation chat.