ScottishPower transmission and distribution subsidiary SP Energy Networks has partnered with UK AI company Keen AI to deploy an AI-powered tool that provides greater visibility into transmission grid connection options for energy developers.

The tool, dubbed IConn, works by digitalizing the transmission network into a unified view of existing, contracted, and planned capacity. Using locally hosted models, IConn generates potential connection routes, estimated costs, simulated power flows, and technical constraint analyses in under five seconds, which, under current conditions, takes hours of manual engineering.

According to the companies, the launch reflects the growing demand for new transmission connections across the UK market, which has increased by fivefold between November 2024 and June 2025.

Keen AI contends that, in addition to speeding up connection times, its AI tool also addresses consistency through consolidating localized engineering expertise into a single platform. It claims that this permits its customer-facing teams to provide developers with a clear, standardized picture of connection options from the outset.

Alana Cairns, Transmission Customer Liaison manager at SP Energy Networks, said: “We’re really pleased to see IConn taking shape as a practical tool that reflects the depth of knowledge within our engineering teams. Working with Keen AI has allowed us to turn that expertise into something customers can access from day one, giving them a clearer understanding of their connections options and helping to set more informed expectations. It’s a great example of how innovation can directly enhance the customer experience.”

Amjad Karim, CEO and founder of Keen AI, added: “We have taken a process that used to consume hours of engineering time and compressed it to seconds. That’s the kind of step change the UK needs to respond to the need for more clean energy. There’s a narrow window to get this right. The projects waiting in the queue today are the wind farms and battery storage we need online by 2030. Now it’s about scaling that solution across the industry.”

Keen AI was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Birmingham, UK. The company has secured innovation funding from Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund, in collaboration with National Grid Electricity Transmission.