A report from Centrica found that the UK’s existing queue for Transmission Entry Capacity (TEC) – the queue for connecting new projects to the grid – is massively oversubscribed, and the problem has become more severe in the last few years.

Some of the new energy projects are being blocked on the grounds that the developers do not even have land rights yet and haven’t applied for planning consents. The estimated size of these projects is around 62GW, or roughly one-fifth of all power generation in the queue.

Centrica CEO Chris O’Shea argues that these ‘phantom’ projects should have their construction agreements terminated if developers miss key milestones.

“In recent years, energy security has rightly moved up the agenda as countries look to secure supplies and drive the transition to net zero,” O’Shea said.

“That’s why it defies belief that the queue for new, green energy connections is blocked by phantom power projects. Not only do these ‘developers...