Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of prioritising grid connections for renewable energy projects that are ready to commence.

The Government is working closely with the National Energy System Operator, Ofgem and the network companies to deliver fundamental reform of the grid connections process. The reforms will prioritise connections for viable and strategically aligned projects, by releasing up to 500GW of capacity from the oversubscribed connections queue. This will enable accelerated connections for renewable energy projects that are ready and aligned with our strategic needs, as set out in the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, and help unlock £40 billion of mainly private investment a year in clean energy and infrastructure.