The UK’s gas and electricity regulator, Ofgem, has announced a new fast-track interconnection system to speed up connections to the nation's energy grid.

This system will replace the current first-come, first-served system, which has led to significant wait times for projects seeking a grid connection.

The new system, which could be in place as early as spring 2025, will fast-track projects that can be operational quickly and are needed to meet the government’s 2030 clean power targets.

“This is a step change in tackling delays and shortening queues on what is currently an outdated and unwieldy system. It is key to achieving the Clean Power mission by 2030,” said Akshay Kaul, director general for infrastructure at Ofgem.

Ofgem claims the system, which prioritizes projects that are “ready” and “needed,” would facilitate accelerated new offers made by the end of the year, with the first projects connected and operational from 2026.

Kaul also noted that the fast-track reforms will “help speed up connections” for “new industries like data centers, which are key to boosting economic growth.” 

Data centers in the UK market currently face long lead times for connection, around five to ten years on average, with some facing connection dates as far into the future as the 2030s.

Currently, the UK's grid connection queue has a combined capacity of 739GW, and many of the projects are speculative or lack the funding and planning permission needed to bring them to market.

The reformed system is part of the UK’s “Clean Power Action Plan,” which will adopt a “targeted approach which prioritizes quicker connections for the right projects in the right place, so Britain can accelerate towards a new era of clean electricity,” according to the UK's energy secretary Ed Miliband.

The consultation will be open for 28 days, with interested parties required to respond by March 14.

Ofgem contends the reforms will help unlock significant amounts of new renewable and clean energy capacity.

According to a December report by the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the UK is expected to have 43-50GW of offshore wind, 27-29GW of onshore wind, and 45-47GW of solar power by 2030. To achieve this, an estimated £40 billion ($50.78bn) of investment per week will be mobilized between 2025 and 2030, mostly through private investment.

The report was commissioned following the publication of the UK government-owned National Energy System Operator (NESO) Clean Power 2030 report. The NESO report concluded that a clean power system for Great Britain could be built, connected, and operated by 2030 while supporting a fourfold growth in data center electricity demand.

The UK data center market is projected to reach 3.61GW by 2029, almost doubling its current rate. The majority is constrained in London, representing around 80 percent of the country’s data center capacity.