In brief
On 29 September 2026 the UK government announced the creation of Great British Grid (GBG), a new publicly owned body within Great British Energy (GBE) that will support investment in Great Britain’s electricity grid. The initiative is intended to help accelerate grid upgrades, improve connection times and support the delivery of the network capacity required to meet the current and future demand on Great Britain’s electricity grid from consumers.
The announcement builds on wider reforms already being implemented in Great Britain to address longstanding delays in the grid connections process. These measures are aimed at ensuring that projects which are ready to proceed can connect to the network more quickly.
In more detail
Why does this matter
Like many other jurisdictions, grid constraints have become a significant challenge for energy and infrastructure projects in Great Britain. Demand for connections has increased rapidly as new renewable generation, data centres, and other industrial facilities seek access to the network.
Historically, grid connections in Great Britain were allocated largely on a “first come, first served” basis. Over time, this contributed to a substantial backlog of projects waiting to connect. The National Energy System Operator for Great Britain (NESO) reported that the connection queue had grown to over 700 GW of generation and storage projects, far exceeding anticipated system requirements.
In response, the UK government has introduced reforms designed to move towards a ‘first ready and needed, first connected’ approach, prioritising projects that are sufficiently advanced, capable of delivery and aligned with strategic energy needs. In December 2025, NESO reported that more than 300 GW of projects would not progress at that stage, including projects that were not ready or not aligned with national targets.
Great British Grid announcement
Against this backdrop, GBG is intended to help accelerate the delivery of critical electricity network infrastructure. The UK government has stated that Great Britain’s electricity network must be expanded and modernised to accommodate increasing electricity. GBG’s start-up costs will come from existing GBE budgets; longer-term funding will be considered at a future Spending Review.
GBG will invest public capital alongside private investment and work with existing network operators rather than replacing them. Ofgem will continue to regulate networks, while NESO retains its system operation and planning functions. The UK government also intends to expand the use of self-build connections, enabling some developers to construct their own grid connections rather than waiting for network companies to undertake the work. Ofgem is developing an independent transmission owner (iTO) licence and wider arrangements for self-build and transfer of high-voltage assets, with consultations planned for autumn 2026.
The UK government also plans to accelerate competitive tendering for electricity transmission infrastructure projects, opening opportunities for a wider range of participants, including Great British Grid, to deliver network upgrades and expansion. For onshore projects, the relevant framework is the Competitively Appointed Transmission Owner (CATO) regime. Ofgem currently expects the first CATO tender in 2027; its draft licence consultation closes on 16 October 2026.
While GBG is not a complete solution to Great Britain’s network capacity challenges, it represents a further indication of the UK government’s commitment to removing barriers to infrastructure delivery.
For investors and delivery partners, the opportunity will depend on the tender pipeline, revenue model and terms on which GBG participates. Access to grid capacity is increasingly becoming a critical determinant of project timelines and viability, and the latest announcement should be viewed as part of a broader programme of reforms intended to reduce delays and bring forward strategically important projects.
Developers may also wish to pay close attention to reforms concerning the “self-build” route, as it could enable them to take greater control of the connection process, helping to mitigate delays associated with network operators and potentially reducing both project timelines and costs. Before relying on a faster connection, developers should check which assets they can build, ownership or transfer arrangements, and dependencies on consents, land rights and wider network reinforcement.