On 16 April 2026, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (“DESNZ”) and Ofgem published a to address NESO’s reforms allowing connection to the grid . (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/connections-reform-delivery-update-and-battery-capacity/open-letter-from-desnz-and-ofgem-on-connections-reform-delivery)
In essence, there are too many BESS projects which have already been consented. The DESNZ letter calls on developers to review the viability of their project’s business case
Gillian Martin, SNP’s Energy Minister also mentioned this at the Petitions Committee at Holyrood earlier this year saying that many Scottish BESS applications would not happen. In some curious way, she felt this should provide communities with reassurance. Rather like Russian roulette, how is anyone to know with certainty that the BESS consented next to them is not going to happen! It has not stopped the applications, nor the encouragement from Holyrood and Westminster to increase renewable generation, regardless of environmental impacts and community concerns.
So this letter from DENZ is basically warning developers that there is over-capacity of battery storage projects advancing to Gate 2 of NESO’s new criteria which are required to get a grid connection.(Similar criteria apply to other renewable generators, as well as major consumers such as data centres)
So far, NESO’s connections reform process has successfully filtered out 221GW of projects. Despite those that have been removed from the queue, there is still an excess of 14.8GW of BESS project capacity above the requirements for 2030, and 61.7 GW above the projected system need in 2035.
Those facts alone are frightening because it demonstrates that there is a queue of BESS developers obviously salivating at the prospects of the profits to made from UK consumers and tax payers.
From our point of view, all this is a good thing because it means that windfarm and other renewable related projects currently applying for planning permission are unlikely to get a grid connection date for many years, at least until 2030 and probably a lot longer. That means that they will be unable to benefit from the multiple lucrative publicly funded subsidy schemes and may therefore be financially unviable in terms of attracting investors.Very soon, there will be a new government in Holyrood and by 2030, a new Government in Westminster. We can only hope that there will be a more balanced approach to our energy generation with new kids on the block.
Unfortunately, DESNZ and NESO are committed to grid expansion, particularly from Scotland to England; current renewable obsessions will only increase the march of giant pylons across Scotland.
In essence, there are too many BESS projects which have already been consented. The DESNZ letter calls on developers to review the viability of their project’s business case
Gillian Martin, SNP’s Energy Minister also mentioned this at the Petitions Committee at Holyrood earlier this year saying that many Scottish BESS applications would not happen. In some curious way, she felt this should provide communities with reassurance. Rather like Russian roulette, how is anyone to know with certainty that the BESS consented next to them is not going to happen! It has not stopped the applications, nor the encouragement from Holyrood and Westminster to increase renewable generation, regardless of environmental impacts and community concerns.
So this letter from DENZ is basically warning developers that there is over-capacity of battery storage projects advancing to Gate 2 of NESO’s new criteria which are required to get a grid connection.(Similar criteria apply to other renewable generators, as well as major consumers such as data centres)
So far, NESO’s connections reform process has successfully filtered out 221GW of projects. Despite those that have been removed from the queue, there is still an excess of 14.8GW of BESS project capacity above the requirements for 2030, and 61.7 GW above the projected system need in 2035.
Those facts alone are frightening because it demonstrates that there is a queue of BESS developers obviously salivating at the prospects of the profits to made from UK consumers and tax payers.
From our point of view, all this is a good thing because it means that windfarm and other renewable related projects currently applying for planning permission are unlikely to get a grid connection date for many years, at least until 2030 and probably a lot longer. That means that they will be unable to benefit from the multiple lucrative publicly funded subsidy schemes and may therefore be financially unviable in terms of attracting investors.Very soon, there will be a new government in Holyrood and by 2030, a new Government in Westminster. We can only hope that there will be a more balanced approach to our energy generation with new kids on the block.
Unfortunately, DESNZ and NESO are committed to grid expansion, particularly from Scotland to England; current renewable obsessions will only increase the march of giant pylons across Scotland.
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