News & Connectology
Queue management – milestones calculator – connections reform
To support clients and the industry as a whole, Roadnight Taylor has developed a simple Milestone Calculator for transmission queue management. This free to download tool offers a view of milestone dates ahead of any Modification Application Offer or Construction Agreement Offer associated with a new application.
Podcast: Guest Series with Oli Spink, System Planning Manager, NGED
In this episode of the Connectology podcast, Pete Aston is joined by Oli Spink, Head of System Planning at National Grid Electricity Distribution. The two discuss Network Development Plans in detail, with key insights from Oli’s experience in the Distribution System Operator team.
Podcast: Grid News and Views #8
In this episode of the Connectology® Podcast, Pete Aston, Nikki Pillinger and Kyle Murchie discuss current grid connections news.
Podcast: Guest series with Laura Henry, Connections Policy and Change Manager at National Grid ESO
In this episode of the Connectology® Podcast, Catherine Cleary is joined by Laura Henry, Connections Policy and Change Manager at the Electricity System Operator (National Grid ESO)
Podcast: Grid news and views #7
All five of our Connectologists® come together in this Grid News and Views episode of the Connectology® Podcast to discuss hot industry topics.
Podcast: Insights into an IDNO
This podcast helps different connections customer types to understand the independent distribution network operator (IDNO) market and what IDNO connections have to offer for development projects
Podcast: Hydrogen and the grid – considerations for developers, investors, networks and regulators
In this podcast, Roadnight Taylor’s Connectologists® discuss the Hydrogen development market and various opportunities and challenges around connecting the different types of hydrogen projects to the grid.
Transmission queue management – milestones calculator
To support clients and the industry as a whole, Roadnight Taylor has developed a simple Milestone Calculator for transmission queue management. This free to download tool offers a view of milestone dates ahead of any Modification Application Offer or Construction Agreement Offer associated with a new application.
Podcast: Agreements to vary and mod apps
With some 700 schemes about to receive an agreement to vary from National Grid ESO, our team set out the reasons why, the differences between the cohorts and the risks and opportunities associated with each. They highlight differences between these agreements to vary and mod apps, and flag the interaction between mod apps and milestones, termination risk and critical dates.
Podcast: Grid News and Views #6
In this Grid News and Views episode of the Connectology® Podcast, Roadnight Taylor's Pete Aston hosts colleagues Nikki Pillinger, Philip Bale and Kyle Murchie as they discuss National Grid ESO and the DNOs' progress with the Technical Limits initiative, and more...
Podcast: Grid News and Views #5
In this Grid news and views’ episode, Pete Aston hosts colleagues Catherine Cleary, Philip Bale and Kyle Murchie, as they discuss National Grid ESO's progress with two-step offers, when this will come to an end and more...
Podcast: Transmission milestones
On this podcast, three of Roadnight Taylor’s elite connections engineers – Connectologists® Catherine Cleary, Pete Aston and Kyle Murchie – explore connection offer milestones at transmission
Podcast: what a good investment director needs to know about grid due diligence to mitigate risks and potentially save £millions
On this podcast, two of Roadnight Taylor’s elite connections engineers discuss the key themes that they see determining the success of a connection and grid due diligence exercise, and some of the areas of risk that they see having been missed.
Podcast: Are your projects’ curtailments about to get a lot worse?
On this podcast, three of Roadnight Taylor’s elite connections engineers explore the issues around changes to DNO curtailment modelling and operation. They help identify higher risk projects, suggest mitigations and point to industry initiatives that may bring about positive change.
Podcast: The new treatment of Battery Energy Storage Schemes (BESS)
Specialist grid connections engineers Pete Aston and Philip Bale, discuss the new rules regarding the treatment of Battery Energy Storage Schemes (BESS) by Distribution Network Operator (DNOs).
Podcast: Grid news and views episode #4
Our team of Connectologists® return for a fourth podcast in their ‘Grid news and views’ series to discuss some of the most important updates in their field.
Podcast: The Technical Limits initiative. Will it accelerate your projects?
In this podcast, our Connectologists discuss the ENA's Technical Limits initiative and help developers and investors to understand the implications for the portfolios of large-scale projects they are building or acquiring.
Podcast: Grid news and views episode #3
Our team of Connectologists® return for a third podcast in their ‘Grid news and views’ series to discuss some of the most important updates in grid connections.
Podcast: Understanding BEGAs and BELLAs
In this podcast, our Connectologists discuss the fundamentals of BEGAs and BELLAs and the choices that need to made to ensure this critical step doesn't go wrong
Early de-risking of grid connection offers – what to look for
Grid offers come with a long list of caveats that over the course of the development process need to be worked through and clarified to avoid pitfalls and delays. Here, we highlight common elements of the post-acceptance process that can catch some developers out.
Our open letter to Ofgem – reforming the mechanism for supergrid transformer charging
In an open letter, we have urged Ofgem to draw its attention to the critical importance of ensuring there is a more appropriate mechanism implemented for charging for supergrid transformer reinforcement. The current charging mechanism is creating stalled and cancelled projects caused by funding risks for investors.
Podcast: Understanding outage risks (transmission)
In this podcast, our Connectologists give insights to help you understand transmission-connected energy projects’ abnormal running risks and how to mitigate them
Podcast: Grid news and views episode #2
Our team of Connectologists® return for a second podcast in their ‘Grid news and views’ series to discuss some of the most important updates in their field.
Podcast: Grid news and views episode #1
Roadnight Taylor’s four Connectologists® meet again to give their views on some of the key topics in the connections industry over the last couple of months.
Webinar: Understanding outage risks (distribution)
On this webinar with Q&A, Pete Aston and Philip Bale share their insight into outage risks to help you understand projects’ abnormal running risks, and how to mitigate them
Podcast: Now you’ve got a connection offer, what next?
In this podcast, Catherine Cleary and Nikki Pillinger discuss the perils and pitfalls to avoid once a great connection offer has been accepted.
Podcast: Understanding outage risks webinar – who should tune in, when and why
In this podcast, Pete Aston explains why we are hosting an upcoming webinar to share insight to help Development and Investment Directors understand abnormal running risk, and how to go about mitigating the issues identified in their energy schemes.
Our response to Ofgem’s open letter consultation (16 May 2023)
On 16 May 2023, Ofgem launched a policy review on reforming the electricity connections system. They invited stakeholders to submit feedback on their open letter by 16 June 2023. This is our response, led by Pete Aston.
Podcast: Understanding SCR curtailment limits
In this podcast Pete Aston helps listeners understand the weaknesses of the SCR Curtailment Limit calculation formula, and how the limit differs from DNO’s curtailment reports.
Webinar: Understanding DNO curtailment reports
On this webinar with Q&A, Pete Aston and Philip Bale share their insight into Active Network Management (ANM) and DNO curtailment assessment reports.
Podcast: Connections reform update #1
In this podcast our Connectologists discuss the recent connections reform output from National Grid ESO and the Energy Networks Association, as well as Ofgem's open letter on future reform to the electricity connections process.
Podcast: Understanding DNO curtailment assessment reports webinar – who should tune in, when and why
In this podcast, Pete Aston and Philip Bale explain why they wanted to share, on their upcoming connectology® webinar, insight into ANM and the DNOs' reports, what they will be covering and who will benefit.
Webinar: Grid Connection Feasibility Studies (distribution)
On this webinar with Q&A, Pete Aston and Philip Bale will set out the incremental steps that they take, as Roadnight Taylor Connectologists® in seeking to make a project work on any given part of the network.
Podcast: Hinkley Point C Connection Project: an MP’s view – the Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox on the challenges for North Somerset and the Electricity Transmission (Compensation) BillPodcast: Hinkley Point C Connection Project: an MP’s view – the Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox on the challenges for North Somerset and the Electricity Transmission (Compensation) Bill
Podcast: Hinkley Point C Connection Project: an MP’s view – the Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox on the challenges for North Somerset and the Electricity Transmission (Compensation) Bill
The second in a series of Pete Aston’s look at the HPC project, aimed at helping developers with connection offers understand the effect that transmission reinforcement work has on their projects.
Podcast: Third party works – what every good Development and Investment Director should know
Third party works - what every good Development and Investment Director should know
Podcast: NGESO securities and liabilities – insights for success and risk management in connections
NGESO securities and liabilities: insights for success and risk management in connections
Podcast: The grid connection feasibility studies webinar – who should tune in, when and why
Hugh Taylor explains why our Connectologists®have volunteered to share so much feasibility know-how in a webinar, how they will do so on the day - and who will get the most out of the webinar
Podcast: Hinkley Point C Connection Project: an introduction – Insights into transmission reinforcements and for developers stuck behind such works
Pete introduces the Hinkley Point C Connection project, with a view to helping developers understand the scale of transmission works, and what it means for connections projects that are sitting behind similar, if not more extensive, reinforcements.
Podcast: National Grid’s Call For Expressions of Interest – What you should know, before it’s too late…
We discuss National Grid's call for expressions of interest from contracted connection customers whose connection dates have been impacted by transmission reinforcement works requirements. The deadline for responses is 30 April 2023.
Podcast: Optimising flexible connections to maximise income – what every good Development and Investment Director should know
Optimising flexible connections to maximise income – what every good Development and Investment Director should know
Webinar: NGESO securities and liabilities: insights for success and risk management in grid connections
On this webinar with Q&A, Catherine Cleary and Pete Aston gave energy scheme investment and development directors insight into NGESO securities and liabilities methodologies, and the how to achieve success and manage risk
Podcast: Game or be Gamed? The Significant Code Review
Game or be Gamed? The Significant Code Review - strategies and tactics when connecting under the new rules.
Webinar: Game or be gamed? For investors in shovel ready developments and owners of existing generation and storage schemes
On this webinar with Q&A, Nikki Pillinger and Pete Aston helped investors in shovel ready developments and owners of existing generation and storage schemes identify the opportunities and risks of SCR for and how to come out on top.
Webinar: Game or be gamed? For datacentre developers and investors
On this webinar with Q&A, Catherine Cleary and Pete Aston helped datacentre developers and investors identify the opportunities and risks of SCR for and how to come out on top.
Podcast: NetZero Vs RIIO-ED2 final determinations
Roadnight Taylor Connectologists® Pete Aston and Catherine Cleary discuss the RIIO-ED2 final determinations with Merlin Hyman, Chief Executive of Regen
Podcast: The gifts we’d like to give the GB electricity networks for Christmas
Pete Aston hosts a festive chat with two of our other Connectologists®, Philip Bale and Nikki Pillinger, to find out what they would like the networks and DNOs to receive for Christmas.
Podcast: National Grid’s new modelling assumptions for battery storage
National Grid’s new modelling assumptions for battery storage. Could it be a gamechanger and reduce your generation connection timeframes by a decade?
Webinar: Game or be gamed? For commercial and industrial developers
On this webinar with Q&A, Catherine Cleary and Pete Aston helped commercial and industrial developers and investors identify the opportunities and risks of SCR for and how to come out on top.
Grid connection charges and Significant Code Review: the risks and opportunities
Here, we have highlighted the main considerations of the Significant Code Review – what to look for and how our team could help identify these risks and maximise the opportunities for your project.
Webinar: Game or be gamed? For energy scheme developers
On this webinar with Q&A, Philip Bale and Pete Aston helped identify the opportunities and risks of SCR and how to come out on top.
Podcast: Tertiary connections – what every good Development and Investment Director should know
Tertiary connections - what every good Development and Investment Director should know
Podcast: The Significant Code Review – what every good Development and Investment Director should know
The Significant Code Review: what every good Development and Investment Director should know
Podcast: National Grid’s TEC Amnesty – cool strategies that good Development and Investment Directors should know
National Grid’s TEC Amnesty - cool strategies that good Development and Investment Directors should know
Webinar: Grid-consenting your hyper-scale demand ambitions
Common challenges in getting permission to connect to the grid at extra-high voltage and at transmission - and how to overcome them
Webinar: Grid-consenting your electric fleet charging ambitions
Common challenges in getting permission to connect large-scale electric vehicle charging to the grid - and how to overcome them
Webinar: Grid-consenting your behind-the-meter ambitions
A webinar on the common challenges in getting permission to connect large-scale, on-site generation and storage to the grid - and how to overcome them
Transmission reinforcement charges – and how supergrid transformer charges are blocking new connections
We look at transmission network reinforcement charges, how supergrid transformer charges are blocking new connections and offer some potential solutions.
The importance of a high quality G99 application – and the dangers of getting it wrong
A high quality G99 application is crucial. If the application is flawed, the scheme can carry risks that may not get picked up on until close to, or after, energisation. These risks range from being detrimental – whereby connection timeframes or ongoing uptime are compromised – to catastrophic.
The problem with tertiary connections
Tertiary connection offers come with issues. Here we explain some, including cost, constraints, timescales, ownership and third party works.
The differences between transmission and distribution connections
We help explain the difference between transmission and distribution connections, and the timescales and costs you can expect with transmission connections.
P28, the engineering recommendation limiting the deployment of battery storage
Interpretation by some DNOs of Engineering Recommendation P28 is threatening the deployment of battery storage schemes across large parts of the GB network. It has sparked an urgent debate, and one which Roadnight Taylor is proud to be influencing.