April 4th,  2025

Good news for UK residents: the government is accelerating the country’s shift towards cleaner, more affordable energy. Following the passage of the new Planning and Infrastructure Bill, Britain is set to rapidly progress towards its ambitious goal of achieving a fully decarbonized electricity grid by 2030, as recently reported by Reuters.

The current method of connecting new energy projects to the grid relies on a “first come, first served” system, a practice described by a British official as “outdated and unwieldy”. This system often resulted in lengthy delays, as projects had to wait their turn regardless of readiness.

Under the newly adopted approach, the government will instead prioritize connecting renewable energy projects as soon as they’re ready to go live. This streamlined approach is expected to expedite planning decisions for at least 150 key clean-energy initiatives, significantly reducing waiting times.

Akshay Kaul, Director General for Infrastructure at Ofgem (the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets), emphasized the importance of these changes: “Britain will not get a clean power grid by 2030 unless an unprecedented volume of new renewable power and storage is connected to electricity networks—that’s why we’re cutting back the red tape and replacing the out-of-date connections system.”

Energy Minister Ed Miliband also welcomed the reforms, noting: “This will benefit the whole country by ensuring we build the clean power system we need.”