For landowners considering hosting solar, battery storage, onshore wind, or supporting grid infrastructure, the key message is that the connections landscape is changing fast, and early decisions around grid strategy and deliverability matter more than ever.
Last year we explored what it will take to make Great Britain a clean energy superpower, and why grid capacity is critical to delivery. Since then, the National Energy System Operator (NESO) and Ofgem have continued implementing connections reform to address a queue that has grown far beyond what is needed to meet national targets. Under the “first come, first connected” approach, speculative schemes could hold queue positions for years. The current reforms introduce a gated process that places greater emphasis on projects that are demonstrably ready and aligned with system need, with the aim of clearing stalled projects and bringing forward schemes that can realistically be delivered.
In early December 2025, NESO began announcing outcomes from the first ‘Gate 2’ window. These outcomes are starting to give landowners and promoters a clearer picture of where capacity exists, and the early indications suggest that the position differs sharply across the UK. Feedback suggests Scotland is currently presenting a more constrained picture for new onshore wind in particular, while offshore capacity appears stronger. In England, early signs are that onshore wind has greater headroom and solar continues to feature in capacity discussions in a way that may surprise some. We expect the picture to sharpen as more outcomes are confirmed, but the directional trend is important for land strategy.
What this means in practice is that landowners should no longer assume grid access is a simple, linear and quick step that follows site selection. Grid position increasingly shapes what is viable, at what scale, and on what timeline. In some regions, it may influence technology choice at the outset, or make flexibility in scheme design an advantage. It also means that “deliverability” has become more central to securing progress. Even where planning is not yet secured, evidence around land rights, access, programme and scheme definition is becoming increasingly important in demonstrating that a project can move forward.
These changes have clear commercial implications for landowners. Grid position and deliverability are increasingly influencing whether projects remain viable, how long option agreements need to run, and the level and structure of payments being offered. In a more selective connections environment, developers are placing greater emphasis on flexibility around scheme design and programme certainty, which can in turn affect option durations, break provisions and the balance between fixed and performance-linked payments. For landowners, this reinforces the importance of stress-testing commercial terms against realistic grid and delivery assumptions.
It is also worth remembering that grid reform is only part of the story. Major transmission infrastructure still needs to be delivered to unlock capacity, and this is heavily influenced by consenting routes, public inquiry risk and construction timetables. For landowners, this reinforces the value of understanding how wider grid reinforcement plans could affect both opportunities and timescales on or near their land.
Looking ahead, the next major milestone will be the publication of the first Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP), expected in late 2026. This will be NESO’s new GB-wide, zonal plan mapping what generation and storage Britain needs, where it should be located and when it should be built, covering electricity and hydrogen out to 2050. The SSEP has been jointly commissioned by the UK, Scottish and Welsh Governments and endorsed by Ofgem.
For landowners, this means future clean-energy opportunities are likely to increasingly reflect zonal priorities set out in the SSEP. Over time, this will influence which technologies are viable in different locations, where grid capacity is directed, and how developers structure their commercial offers.
Landowners considering clean energy options should seek early advice to understand the capacity position, the evolving Gate process and the likely timeline for the next connection application windows. A clear view of grid realities at an early stage will help landowners structure agreements more effectively, set realistic expectations, and align projects with where the system is most able to support delivery.
