We’re happy to announce the details of how Connections Reform will be implemented, to help speed up the connection of some projects in our licence areas.
Put simply, Connections Reform will mean that projects which are ‘ready to connect’ to the network and that support the UK Government’s Clean Power 2030 goals will now be prioritised, ahead of those which although further up the queue, are not currently ready to move forward (or aligned to Clean Power 2030).
The projects affected by these reforms will be those seeking to connect to local Distribution networks, and where what’s known as a Transmission Impact Assessment (TIA) will need to be carried out. These are generation or storage projects of 5MW or above in England and Wales, 200kW in Scotland and 50KW on Scotland's islands.
Now the reforms are going ahead, we need to assess what projects are ready to connect, and if they align with the Regional Capacity Quotas as set out by the UK Government in its Clean Power 2030 targets.
Our “Ready Portal” will be integral to this. The portal – which opens on 20th May – will be the place where contracted customers who’ve gone through the TIA process can upload evidence that they meet the relevant ‘readiness’ criteria, or let us know that they don’t meet readiness criteria. This portal will be open until the end of July, but we encourage customers to submit their evidence as early as possible. We’ll be emailing all affected customers with a link to the portal, along with guidance on what to submit.
If you believe your project may be affected by Connections Reform and you haven’t received an email by the end of May, please contact us at reformsupport@sse.com.
Once we receive your evidence, we’ll:
- Review the evidence provided in line with the checks required under the Connections Reform rules.
- Share the information you provide to us with the National Energy System Operator (NESO), once their own portal opens. NESO will then validate the evidence and reorder the connections queue.
- Inform customers whether NESO has confirmed they’ve met the necessary criteria. As NESO confirms timelines for its review, we’ll communicate these to you.
Andy Scott, SSEN Distribution’s Director of Customer Service, said:
“The launch of our ‘Ready Portal’ is a tangible moment of progress in the connections reform process. From 20th May, our customers whose projects are applicable under the rules will be able to give us the information we need to assess their project. If it meets the criteria, then it will enter the revised connections which the National Energy System Operator is overseeing.
“This is a big step in the journey to decarbonise our communities and economy; the changes will help unlock the very projects that will help cut emissions and put us on a path to a more sustainable future.
“I’d urge customers to start preparing their submissions and look out for our email with a link to the portal and industry guidance, which we’ll be sending next week.”
How can you prepare for Connections Reform?
Along with other Distribution Network Operators, we’re opening our evidence portal on 20 May for customers with existing agreements to submit their applicable evidence, and customers should start preparing for this now. The evidence customers will need to submit is detailed within NESO’s Gate 2 Criteria Methodology. This will depend on whether you have land rights or planning for your site:
Land rights
- Three-year option with a lease; or
- Existing ownership of the site; or
- Existing lease
In addition, you’ll need a red line boundary showing the location, installed capacity and minimum acreage. NESO’s guidance on minimum acreage is available here: LoA Guidance - DRAFT.pdf
Planning
- Proof of Development consent order planning (DCO)
All customers submitting evidence will also need to complete NESO’s declaration form which is available here: Readiness declaration template | National Energy System Operator
Upcoming events and publications to support customers
NESO and Distribution Network Operators like SSEN have been developing detailed guidance to support customers in submitting evidence. This will be published by NESO on 20 May, and will be available on our portal.
Our 'Ready Portal' webinar - sign up now
To help prepare customers for our portal going live, we’ll shortly publish video guidance on how to submit the necessary evidence. We’ll also host an online webinar on 22 May to explain how to use the portal and to answer any questions customers may have.
You can sign up for SSEN's 'Ready Portal' webinar here.
Finally, to help new and existing customers understand these requirements of progressing their application in Connections Reform, the Electricity Networks Association (ENA) is holding a seminar in London on the 10 June to detail how these new processes apply to DNO-embedded customers, with a question-and-answer session with the ENA and DNOs. You can sign up below.