Connections Reform
SPT continues to fully support the development of Connections Reform, otherwise known as TM04+, and wants to support our customers in receiving the latest information on the changes coming to industry.
According to NESO’s timeline, Gate 2 Phase 1 transmission customers can expect to receive their connections offers by September 2026 while the Gate 2 Phase 2 transmission customers can expect to receive their offers between September 2026 and January 2027.
NESO updated their Connections Reform timeline earlier this year and the key change to note in this timeline update is the shift to locational sequencing, i.e. if technical works are complete for a particular area first then the offers for that area would be released sooner which ensures that customers within a “ready“ area don’t face any unnecessary delays.
We encourage our customers to explore NESO’s latest updates in more detail by visiting NESO’s website where the full timeline changes and supporting information are available.
What is happening in the coming months?
Our engineering teams are now conducting the detailed power system studies and are focused on delivering the most economic, coordinated, and efficient solutions for the whole network.
SPT is currently working on the Gate 2 Phase 1 offers and will start issuing the revised connection offers for these projects to NESO in line with the agreed timelines. Please keep an eye on the NESO’s timeline on when these offers will be issued to you.
You can find out about the other key milestones through NESO’s Connections Reform timeline.
Data behind the queue:
The graph below provides a clear, high‑level view of the connections delivery pipeline, illustrating the capacity of projects progressing through the queue for phase 1 and phase 2. It highlights how different technologies are contributing to the future energy mix and shows the capacity within the SPT area and across GB.
This graph has been developed using data from the National Energy System Operator (NESO), who published the full dataset for industry use. You can also visit NESO’s website to look at the interactive graph which gives more information on various other technology capacities for phase 1 (2030) and phase 2 (2035) as well as the total planned capacity across Great Britain. Additionally, customers who are seeking a deeper, technology‑specific breakdown including regional and zone‑level insights can further explore NESO’s detailed results on their website and access NESO’s full report directly.
SP Transmission Export Capacity (GW)
What can you do right now as a customer?
While SPT carries out system studies and issues revised offers, there are a few important steps you can take to stay informed and prepared:
- Sign up to our newsletter
For the most up to date information, insights, and announcements delivered straight to your inbox, please sign up to our newsletter. - Read the NESO Connections Reform Post-Notifications Customer Handbook
While you wait for your revised offer, in order to gain a better understanding of the notifications, what actions you may need to take and reform processes, we encourage all our customers to read NESO’s Connections Reform Post Notifications Customer Handbook, which can be found under ‘What’s next for customers?’ section on their website. - Stay connected for the latest updates
We also advise our customers to regularly check both, our website, and NESO’s website for new information, updates, and timelines. Staying informed will help you plan effectively and avoid delays.
- Watch for updates from NESO
We advise our customers to keep an eye out for emails from the NESO to ensure that you don’t miss any important notifications.
Previous Updates:
NESO is hosting several in-person and online events, the details of these webinars can also be found on the Connections Reform Help Centre and Event Calendar. SPT recommends all customers attend these to gain a better understanding of latest updates.
We would like to highlight to our customers that to provide a fair and equal service to all, NESO will only be accepting queries and complaints regarding Connections Reform exclusively through their two dedicated channels. NESO will not be responding to any queries sent through any other sources (including any existing or older NESO contacts) besides the two new channels.
You can access the two channels on NESO’s Contact Connections Reform webpage.