‘Polite queuing’ will not decarbonise energy grid, says Ofgem boss

More than half of all renewable projects wait for over half a decade for a connection to the grid, Ofgem said.

The Ofgem boss said the first-come, first-served connections regime ‘is not fit for purpose if we are to end fossil fuel power within 12 years’ (Chris Radburn/PA) (PA Archive)

Britain will not achieve its ambition to decarbonise the electricity grid by the middle of the 2030s with the current system of “polite queuing”, the boss of Ofgem has said.

Regulator chief Jonathan Brearley said that it is “unacceptable” that some renewable energy projects which may never be built are able to block more viable wind and solar farms from being connected to the grid.

He promised a major review which will report within two years and help slash the backlog of projects that are waiting to be connected to the grid.