Great British Grid and self-build connections: five questions for developers

Faster grid connections are the goal. Whether your project benefits may depend on the decisions you make and the preparation you do now.

On 29 September 2026 the government announced Great British Grid, a new publicly owned body within Great British Energy that will invest public money alongside private capital in the electricity network. The government also committed to expanding self-build connections, allowing developers to deliver more of their own connection infrastructure rather than waiting for the network company and to accelerate competitive tendering for transmission projects. 

The energy regulator, Ofgem, has since set out how an expanded self-build model could work in a consultation that closes on 13 November 2026. Among other things, it proposes removing the current rule that broadly limits self-build at transmission level to sites within 2km of the existing network.

So, what should developers be thinking about now ahead of Ofgem’s decision expected in early 2027?

1. Should you wait or build your own connection?

Self-build could give you more control over delivery of your connection rather than waiting for the network company to do it.  The potential time saving could be significant. The government points to similar reforms in Ireland which it says reduced connection times by up to 11 months. That will not necessarily mean an earlier connection date.  Enabling or wider reinforcement works may still determine the overall timetable.

That raises a strategic question: could greater control over delivery help your project move more quickly?

2. Are you ready to take on more responsibility?

Greater control also means greater responsibility.

Taking on delivery of your connection means considering more than speed. Cost, funding, consents, construction risk and the requirements for ultimately handing over connection assets may all need to form part of the decision. Under Ofgem's proposals, you would build the assets to the network owner’s published standards and then transfer them to it.  The network owner would then own and maintain the assets.  You would bear additional delivery risk, including responsibility for obtaining the necessary consents and exposure to cost overruns.  The proposed arrangements also include a five year defects period after handover.

You will also need to consider how the costs of self-build fit within your funding arrangements, including when those costs will be incurred and what happens if the works cost more than expected.

The question is not simply whether self-build could be quicker, but whether it works commercially for the project.

3. Do your contracts line up?

A self-built connection does not exist in isolation from the project's other contractual arrangements.

Connection assets will need to meet the technical standards of the network owner.  Your construction contracts and other project documents may need to reflect the standards for completion, testing, handover and defects.

The connection timetable may also need to fit with wider project milestones, funding arrangements and the final deadlines in your contracts.

Aligning these requirements at the outset will be easier than addressing a gap when the connection is ready.

4. Have you secured the land?

Every connection has a physical footprint.  Depending on the project, that could mean cable routes, substations, access and rights over land beyond the main development site.

Without the 2km limit, connection routes could become longer and cross more land. If you take on delivery of your own connection, its design and your land strategy may need to develop together.

This could include securing the necessary access rights and ensuring these are capable of transfer to the network owner.

5. What else could affect delivery?

Investment and connection reform will help but self-build will not remove every barrier to an earlier connection.  Planning, consenting, supply chain and workforce constraints will remain while enabling.

Great British Energy will cover Great British Grid’s start-up costs from its existing budget with longer-term funding to be considered through a future government Spending Review. 

At the same time, wider connections reform continues, including the Gate 2 process being run by the National Energy System Operator (NESO) which has now advanced to making connection offers.

Connection strategy is one part of a much wider project delivery strategy. Land, consents, contracts, construction and funding all need to move with it.

The takeaway

Great British Grid and the proposed self-build reforms could give you more control over how your connection is delivered. If you have already worked through the risk, contracts and land requirements, you will be better placed to move when the detail is confirmed.

Before you decide, ask:

This article was written by Amy Scott and Elaine Kennedy-Walton.

If you wish to discuss any of the points in this article, please contact Dixcee Fast (Partner, Energy) or Lauren Winters (Director, Energy).