Регулятор Ofgem признал провал NESO в реформе подключения объектов к энергосети

Ofgem finds NESO has ‘not delivered’ Connections Reform aim ‘nor made sufficient progress’ Ofgem found that for seven objectives it delivered full outcomes or sufficient progress, while for Connections Reform it underperformed, doing neither. Cameron Murray, Senior Reporter, Informa September 7, 2026 schedule 2 Min Read Energy regulator Ofgem has published its end-scheme assessment of the National Energy System Operator (NESO’s) 2025/26 year, assessing how it has performed against business plan aims. Ofgem found that, overall, NESO met expectations during the period. The operator was formed in October 2024 when the UK government acquired what was then Electricity System Operator (ESO) from National Grid plc. National Grid remains the owner of the UK’s high-voltage electricity transmission networks and local distribution systems, while NESO shapes the energy market. Assessing eight business plan aims, Ofgem found that for three it delivered full outcomes and for four it made sufficient progress, while for Connections Reform it underperformed, doing neither. Ofgem said that Connections Reform was a critical objective and a key area of underperformance. “NESO did not deliver this Performance Objective nor make sufficient progress towards it, although we note the ambitious timelines and scope of this work,” Ofgem’s executive summary reads. “Whilst NESO made structural reforms to the connection queue, NESO has not fully implemented the reform process – with underperformance highlighted through missed deadlines, unclear prioritisation, inaccurate offers and inconsistent quality of customer engagement. Stakeholders' feedback was also significantly negative.” NESO has been undertaking the grid connections process over the past few years to whittle down the huge backlog of projects waiting to connect to prioritise those that are ready and needed. All agreed this was necessary, but the process has been heavily criticised by the industry. Ofgem itself expressed frustration at delays in February. Panellists at the Clean Power 2030 Summit in July discussed some of these frustrations and criticisms, while also saying that progress has been made and the next challenge to think about is the actual grid buildout that the reform sought to unlock. In January, Solar Power Portal hosted a webinar on connections reform. The four aims that NESO did not deliver but did make satisfactory progress on were: Strategic Whole Energy Plans Enhanced Sector Digitalisation and Data Sharing Operating the Electricity System Fit-for-Purpose Markets The three aims that it did deliver on were: Secure and Resilient Energy Systems Clean Power 2030 Implementation Separated NESO Systems, Processes and Services See the executive summary from Ofgem on its findings here. Read more about: About the Author Senior Reporter, Informa Your one-stop source for solar power news in the UK Stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the solar industry Set Solar Power Portal as your 'preferred source' to get quicker access to the news you value. Add us now