The Connectology® Podcast by Roadnight Taylor

#39 Guest Series with Oli Spink, Head of System Planning at National Grid Electricity Distribution.

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. 
After recognizing the importance of data processes, Pete and Oli discuss how Network Development plans have evolved in the last eight years, looking at the impact they may have.  
Looking to the future, they discuss the drivers behind network reinforcement and contrast the current drive that comes from new projects to the predicted drive of decarbonizing existing projects. 
Oli explains both long-term development statements and the distribution of future energy scenarios alongside the main three elements that comprise the NDP. Outlining the complex process behind the creation of Network Development reports, he goes on to highlight how they are best used and some solutions to the projected problems that may arise. 
Oli and Pete outline both long term and short-term changes we can expect to see in the next years, with an overall emphasis on how important Network Development Plans are for client transparency, and how they can champion proactivity. 
Recorded 27 June 2024
 
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#38 Grid News and Views - episode #8

Welcome to another Grid News and Views podcast, where this month, Connectologists® Pete Aston, Nikki Pillinger and Kyle Murchie are unpacking some of the most current and upcoming topics in grid connections.   
Beginning by touching on technical limits, they discuss the projects that benefit, the pros and cons of dates being brought forward, and what good and bad technical offers look like. 
This episode also addresses the ever-pertinent Connections Reform, where we have insight from Kyle who is involved in the process alongside Renewable UK, looking at solutions to some of the key problems. Kyle outlines some of the key challenges, giving an overview of the different working groups involved and lays out the main timeline we can expect to see in the coming months. Explaining the new windowed application process and giving some predictions for gate two criteria, the podcast is a good precursor to our extended webinar in July about the biggest industry change for decades! 
Both Pete and Kyle go on to discuss variations to DNO offers following second step offers from the ESO, detailing the new short turnarounds and highlighting what projects may be affected. After an explanation of the latest CUSC mod, they finish by discussing more generally about the current quality of data, suggesting how the DNO might help with clarity and the robustness of data sets. 
In a nod to the election, Pete highlights the ever-important relevance of keeping up to date in very turbulent times! 
 
Recorded 13 June 2024
 
Links: 
Website: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/connectology/
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#37 Guest series with Laura Henry, Electricity Policy and Change Manager, National Grid ESO

In this episode of the Connectology® Podcast, Catherine Cleary is joined by Laura Henry, Electricity Policy and Change Manager at the Electricity System Operator (National Grid ESO).
They discuss the progress and impact of the various tactical initiatives that the ESO has implemented since it launched its five point plan in February 2023, and what work is left to do aside from Connections Reform itself.
As well as the TEC Amnesty, modelling assumptions, treatment of storage, Technical Limits and the Transmission Works Review, they cover letters of authority and the ongoing work on allowable changes and mod apps - and when new applications will be needed. Laura also signposts the various workgroups, webinars, newsletters and consultations - and some timescales and dates to be aware of.
 
Recorded 10 May 2024
 
Links: 
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#36 Grid News and Views - episode #7

All five of our Connectologists® come together in this Grid News and Views episode of the Connectology® Podcast to discuss hot industry topics, including:
The delay in NGESO’s two-step offer process and the knock-on implications for connections customers
Publication of the ESO’s ‘Beyond 2030’ report
Clock starting and milestones for connection offers and mod apps
The new letter of authority requirements for transmission applications
Appendix G and queue management at distribution level – and talk of a new policy to allow DNOs to move projects from Part 4 to Part 2
How Appendix Gs and Technical Limits are being applied in Scotland
Rising cost and timescales in the transmission reinforcement supply chain – and the increase in ICP quotes  
Updates on SGT charging
 
Recorded 26 March 2024
 
Links: 
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#35 Insights into an IDNO with ESP Utilities Group Ltd

This podcast, with guests Adam Miller and Nick Clark of ESP Utilities Group Ltd, helps the varying connections customer types to understand the independent distribution network operator (IDNO) market, how it is segregated and what IDNO connections have to offer for their development projects.
 
Recorded October 2023
Links: 
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#34 Hydrogen and the grid - considerations for developers, investors, networks and regulators

In this podcast, Roadnight Taylor's Connectologists® Kyle Murchie, Pete Aston and Catherine Cleary discuss the Hydrogen development market and various opportunities and challenges around connecting the different types of hydrogen projects to the grid, including:
how connections challenges differ from batteries and generation
the ambitious Hydrogen Allocation Rounds (HAR) connection timeframes
regulatory issues around final demand
impacts of the industrial cluster focus
how to design the transmission network to facilitate hydrogen connections
physical access challenges
triggering of new substations
potential for 'tactical solutions' 
non-firm connections and;
the potential for extensive liabilities under Final Sums.
To find out more and to get your questions answered by our team of expert Connectologists® in a live Q&A session, join our webinar on Wednesday 20 March at 10am. Register in the link below.
 
Recorded 1 February 2024
Links: 
Register for webinar: Unlocking the potential of hydrogen: exploring grid connections for hydrogen schemes
 
Website: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/connectology/
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#33 Agreements to vary and mod apps - what development and investment directors need to know

With some 700 schemes about to receive an agreement to vary from National Grid ESO, Connectologists® Kyle Murchie, Pete Aston and Catherine Cleary set out the three reasons why, the differences between these cohorts and the risks and opportunities associated with each.
They explore accelerated connection opportunities, connection offer milestones, curtailment risk and securities implications.
They highlight differences between these agreements to vary and “business as usual” mod apps, and flag the interaction between mod apps and milestones, termination risk and the critical dates to be aware of. 
 
Recorded 1 February 2024
 
Links: 
Podcast: Transmission milestones – who they affect and how, and where to find out more
Transmission queue management – milestones calculator
Podcast: Are your projects’ curtailments about to get a lot worse?
Webinar: Understanding outage risk - transmission
Webinar: Understanding outage risk - distribution
Website: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/connectology/
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#32 Grid News and Views - episode #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:
How valid is the data behind your DNO curtailment assessment?
The milestones calculator for transmission-connecting projects  
The migration of the Electricity System Operator (ESO) to the National Energy System Operator (NESO)
The consultation on the change in threshold for Large Generators
The risks to developers/investors of the use by network operators of sustained ratings vs cyclic ratings in modelling and operating ANM schemes
The NGESO consultation on market mechanisms to unblock transmission-level thermal constraints to demand and generation
The ESO's 'Technical Solution 2' for enabling battery connections
The lack of a route for accelerating demand connections caught up in transmission-level constraints
 The proposed Regional Energy Strategic Planners
Recorded 1 February 2024
 

#30 Transmission milestones

On this podcast, three of Roadnight Taylor’s elite connections engineers – Connectologists® Catherine Cleary, Pete Aston and Kyle Murchie – explore the history, the mechanism's, strengths, weaknesses and the risks associated with connection offer milestones at transmission - an entirely new thing - which are being impemented following CUSC modification CMP376. There are also links in the description to National Grid ESO's invaluable resources and webinars on this complex and important topic.
The ESO's guidance document can be found here: https://www.nationalgrideso.com/document/294211/download and it has upcoming webinars on the milestones  on 19 December and 10 January.
Details of these and the materials from the previous ESO webinars on the topic can be found here: https://www.nationalgrideso.com/industry-information/connections/queue-management.
National Grid's milestone calculator is no longer available - but Raodnight Taylor's own version will be available shortly.
Recorded 14 December 2023
 

#31 Grid News and Views - episode #5

In this Grid news and views’ episode, Pete Aston hosts colleagues Catherine Cleary and Philip Bale - as well as the freshly-minted fifth Connectologist®, Kyle Murchie - as they discuss National Grid ESO's progress with two-step offers, when this will come to an end, and: 
The proposed/impending introduction of LOAs (letters of authority) at transmission
Progress on large transmission reinforcement works
Reintroduction of pre-app calls at transmission (in some cases)
Application of Appendix G into CUSC
The harmonisation of definitions of large power stations across the country
Progress with SGT charging reform
Recorded 13 December 2023
 
Links: 
Website: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/connectology/
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