The National Energy System Operator (NESO) has extended the evidence submission window for Gate 2 grid connection applications until at least mid-August, citing ongoing technical issues with its registration portal.
The move comes after multiple stakeholders reported difficulties submitting project evidence since the portal opened on 8 July. The original three-week window was due to close on 29 July, but NESO confirmed that it will now provide at least 10 working days’ notice before ending the window, and that no closure notice will be issued before 4 August.
“We appreciate that to date the process of submitting evidence to NESO as part of the connections reform evidence submission window has not been to the standard we hold ourselves to, and we are sorry for the disruption this has caused to our customers,” said Kayte O’Neill, NESO’s chief operating officer.
Trade associations had recently urged NESO to extend the evidence deadline, warning that projects risked losing access to priority status in the restructured grid connections queue due to registration difficulties.
“To ensure that customers have an equal and fair access to this process, we are allowing sufficient time to ensure that the portal is delivering as expected,” O’Neill added. “We will give 10 working days’ notice before the window closes. This notice will be issued no earlier than 4 August 2025.”
O’Neill noted that NESO teams have made “significant progress” over the past two weeks and that restoring confidence in the process remains a top priority. “To build on the progress we are making against these areas, we have deployed additional resource to resolve outstanding challenges,” she said.
The Gate 2 evidence window forms a key part of NESO’s broader connections reform programme, which is aimed at improving access and fairness in Great Britain’s energy infrastructure as the sector scales up to meet decarbonisation targets.
