In this episode, Part 1 of The Demand Connection Conundrum series, Connectologist® Pete Aston synthesizes what's to come in Parts 2, 3, and 4—conversations with Ryan Adams (Innova), Spencer Thompson (Eclipse), and David Wildash (Apatura)—exploring critical barriers facing hyperscale demand projects, particularly data centres, attempting to connect to the transmission network.

The core challenge: Demand projects cannot own transmission assets, creating fundamental obstacles as GB competes globally for investment in data centres and other large-scale infrastructure.

Key Issues Identified

Potential Solutions

Make sure to tune in to the three episodes to explore these issues and solutions in more detail, and to hear the different perspectives on these challenges.

Listen to the full series:

📌 Part 2 - Ryan Adams (Innova): https://youtu.be/bT-FbWY5FpA?si=Rn-ZWNMokyF13eHQ

📌 Part 3 - Spencer Thompson (Eclipse): https://youtu.be/-tMo5Z99jqs?si=yj9fYFg5tTJAWIuz

📌 Part 4 - David Wildash (Apatura): https://youtu.be/GYIA569aZ7A?si=RAuvp7O5h7h77iDi

Recorded 13th November 2025

This content was recorded on an earlier date. The connections landscape changes rapidly, so please treat any facts, figures, and guidance as a point-in-time view and verify current information before relying on it.

Our links: Website: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/

 Newsletter sign up: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/newsletter/

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/roadnight-taylor-ltd/

Find if we fit at [email protected]

In this episode of the Connectology® podcast, Connectologist® Catherine Cleary speaks with Ed Porter from Modo Energy about where battery storage stands today and what's ahead for developers and investors.

Key topics:

Recorded 13 November 2025

This content was recorded on an earlier date. The connections landscape changes rapidly, so please treat any facts, figures, and guidance as a point-in-time view and verify current information before relying on it.

Our links:

Website: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/

Newsletter sign up: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/newsletter/

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/roadnight-taylor-ltd/

Find if we fit at [email protected]

Ofgem's Connections End-to-End Review: Standards, Accountability, and the Path Forward 

Connectologist® Kyle Murchie speaks with Alasdair MacMillan from Ofgem about the connections end-to-end review, examining the entire customer journey from feasibility through energisation and beyond. 

Ofgem's review (published December 2025) addresses increased standards of service and timely connection delivery. The document contains immediate decisions moving into implementation and proposals for consultation (open until 27 February 2026). 

Key elements: 

Your consultation response, backed by evidence and specific examples, helps Ofgem understand where regulatory intervention can prove most effective. Whether you're a developer, network company, or industry stakeholder, your insight matters. Consultation closes 27 February 2026. 

View the Connections end-to-end review: updated proposals and next steps here:  

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/consultation/connections-end-end-review-updated-proposals-and-next-steps 

Recorded 10 December 2025

This content was recorded on an earlier date. The connections landscape changes rapidly, so please treat any facts, figures, and guidance as a point-in-time view and verify current information before relying on it.

Our links:  

Website: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/  

Newsletter sign up: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/newsletter/  

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/roadnight-taylor-ltd/  

Find if we fit at [email protected] 

NESO's unveiling of the new queue last Monday came with the surprising announcement that very few projects have been considered for advancement, with several DNOs announcing on the same day that all advancement requests for embedded projects in their networks had been rejected. In this Connectology® episode, Connectologists® Pete Aston, Alex Ikonic, Nikki Pillinger, and Catherine Cleary explore the capacity realities across different technologies, the surprising lack of advancement opportunities, and the tight timelines developers now face.

Technology specific results were much as expected and in the most competitive pots such as battery storage and Scottish onshore wind only projects which have already gained planning consent have made it into the new queue. Onshore wind remains the only technology with meaningful remaining headroom in England and Wales for future Gate 2 windows.

The podcast explores: 

Advancement disappointment: Why very few projects received advancement despite numerous requests, with distribution projects seeing none—particularly surprising given DNOs and transmission operators had already held positive engineering conversations on specific schemes 

Critical timelines ahead: Protected customers receive offers January-March, with all 2030 offers by end Q2. Several DNOs require acceptance within four weeks, with securities potentially needed upfront before DNOs sign their own transmission offers 

What's next: SSEP delay to end 2027 means next year's windows limited to unfilled capacity. Built projects with January 2026 energization dates now face multi-year delays from failed enabling works delivery. 

The team also discusses the confirmed Project Commitment Fee structure and emphasizes the dedication of DNO connection teams working past midnight to deliver notifications under intense pressure. 

Recorded 10 December 2025

This content was recorded on an earlier date. The connections landscape changes rapidly, so please treat any facts, figures, and guidance as a point-in-time view and verify current information before relying on it.

Our links:

Website: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/

Newsletter sign up: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/newsletter/

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/roadnight-taylor-ltd/

Find if we fit at [email protected]

Do grid connection challenges persist because critical voices are being kept at arm’s length? Connectologists® Catherine Cleary and Kyle Murchie sit down with Graham Pannell, BayWa r.e‘s Head of Grid and Electricity Regulation, to explore why formal industry forums delivered transformational policy improvements—and why we urgently need them reinstated.

Graham brings 15-20 years of sharp-end policy development experience. His track record speaks volumes: the DG Forum delivered heat maps, capacity registers, application fees, queue management milestones, and the Incentive on Connections Engagement—all because developers and network operators sat in rooms together to solve real problems.

Graham’s current disconnect:

What Graham says is needed: bilateral engineering conversations between protected projects, customer account managers, and TOs to align construction programmes before Gate 2 offers arrive. Sensible modification frameworks could allow proportionate date adjustments by mutual consent preventing unnecessary project failures.

Recorded 12 November 2025

This content was recorded on an earlier date. The connections landscape changes rapidly, so please treat any facts, figures, and guidance as a point-in-time view and verify current information before relying on it.

Our links:

Website: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/

Newsletter sign up: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/newsletter/

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/roadnight-taylor-ltd/

Find if we fit at [email protected]

Connectologists® Kyle, Catherine, and Philip are joined by Alex in her first Grid News & Views as a Connectologist®, covering Connections Reform developments, code modifications, and emerging challenges as Gate 2 offers approach.

Ofgem has confirmed a backstop-only role in disputes, meaning developers must now work through all NESO processes and arbitration before escalation—making a clear understanding of NESO’s complaint routes more important than ever.

Gate 2 pressures intensify:

Also in this episode:

Recorded 13 November 2025

This content was recorded on an earlier date. The connections landscape changes rapidly, so please treat any facts, figures, and guidance as a point-in-time view and verify current information before relying on it.

Our links:

Website: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/

Newsletter sign up: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/newsletter/ 

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/roadnight-taylor-ltd/ 

Find if we fit at [email protected]

Connectologists® Pete Aston and Kyle Murchie are back with the latest Grid News and Views! After a four-month break, they dive into the big changes shaping Britain's grid connections — from NESO's new Gate 2 timeline to long-awaited reforms in network charging.

They break down what the new Gate 2 process really means for developers: complex timelines, delayed offers, and growing uncertainty around project acceptance and design changes. Pete and Kyle also unpack the latest on connection charging — including DCP461 and CMP460, two major reforms aiming to fix how shared infrastructure costs are split across projects.

Plus, they tackle the UK's unexpected demand boom: data centres now make up most of the 100+ GW of new demand in the queue — more than Britain's entire current peak demand! What does this mean for future connections, system design, and government policy?

If you're working in energy, development, or infrastructure, this episode is your quick guide to the fast-moving world of grid connections and reform.

This content was recorded on an earlier date. The connections landscape changes rapidly, so please treat any facts, figures, and guidance as a point-in-time view and verify current information before relying on it.

Our links:

Website: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/

Newsletter sign up: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/newsletter/

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/roadnight-taylor-ltd/

Find if we fit at [email protected]

In this episode of the Connectology podcast, Connectologist® Pete Aston sits down with Alan Pritchard from FarrPoint to explore the booming world of data centres – the hidden infrastructure powering everything from cloud services to artificial intelligence.

Alan explains what data centres are, why they've suddenly become headline news, and how they've grown from anonymous grey boxes to critical national infrastructure. He shares insights into the sheer scale and cost of these projects – with a 100MW facility costing around £1 billion – and why the UK's total capacity is still just 1.5GW.

The episode covers:

Alongside this episode, we've released our Comprehensive Data Centre Report, which reveals that half of UK developers underestimate connection times by seven years — a gap that can make or break projects. The report also highlights barriers around grid access, energy pricing, and clean power investment.

👉 https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/powering-great-britains-data-centre-ambitions/

Whether you're an energy developer, tech insider, or simply curious about the digital engines behind your smartphone and streaming services, this episode offers a fascinating and timely look at the future of digital infrastructure.

This content was recorded on an earlier date. The connections landscape changes rapidly, so please treat any facts, figures, and guidance as a point-in-time view and verify current information before relying on it.

Our links:

Website: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/

Newsletter sign up: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/newsletter/

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/roadnight-taylor-ltd/

Find if we fit at [email protected]

In this episode of the Connectology® podcast, we sit down with Mikey Clark, CEO of Relode Energy, to explore how the UK’s energy infrastructure must evolve to meet rising demand—from transport to ports to AI.

We unpack the idea of power parks and the practical steps needed to electrify hard-to-reach sectors.

Key Conversation Points:

If you're in energy, logistics, or infrastructure—or just curious how we’ll keep the lights on in a net-zero world—this episode offers real-world solutions and forward-thinking insight from someone building the future of energy.

Recorded 24 June 2025

This content was recorded on an earlier date. The connections landscape changes rapidly, so please treat any facts, figures, and guidance as a point-in-time view and verify current information before relying on it.

Our links:

Website: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/

Newsletter sign up: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/newsletter/

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/roadnight-taylor-ltd/

Find if we fit at [email protected]

The UK’s grid is at breaking point. Thousands of energy projects are stuck in the queue, and many may never get built. In this episode of the Connectology® podcast, Ed Birkett from Low Carbon joins Kyle Murchie and Catherine Cleary to explain what’s going wrong—and what needs to change.

Together, they dive into the challenges facing the UK’s grid connection process, from overloaded queues to “zombie projects” that block real progress.

Key topics discussed includes:

• Why the grid queue is five times bigger than it needs to be

• The risks of relying too heavily on uncertain technologies like floating offshore wind

• Why project drop-out (attrition) is being ignored—and how that could derail 2030 clean power targets

• The need for public consultation and better data in future planning

• How co-locating solar and battery storage can ease pressure on the grid—but is being overlooked

Ed also sounds the alarm on how secretive and rushed decision-making could lead to poor outcomes—and why transparency is essential as we move toward the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone involved in renewable energy, policy, or planning in the UK!

Ed's LinkedIn post - what are the risks in NESO's reforms to the grid queue? https://www.linkedin.com/posts/edwardbirkett_lc-response-to-ofgem-connections-reform-m2-activity-7309878224090464257-Rk4j?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAABcpJLkBqpA9EUs8BicHQToAo6NV08hd4lU

Recorded 08 July 2025

This content was recorded on an earlier date. The connections landscape changes rapidly, so please treat any facts, figures, and guidance as a point-in-time view and verify current information before relying on it.

Our links:

Website: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/

Newsletter sign up: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/newsletter/

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/roadnight-taylor-ltd/

Find if we fit at [email protected]