NESO Connections Reform and UK energy hiring trends for 2026

The National Energy System Operator’s (NESO) connections reform is fundamentally restructuring how renewable energy projects access the UK grid, and it’s creating immediate pressure on employers to secure specialist talent across multiple disciplines.

With approximately 3,000 applications assessed and the connections queue reduced by nearly two-thirds, the race is on to deliver projects that were previously stalled.

But the binding constraint isn’t capital or ambition, it’s skills.

For developers, investors, and contractors who’ve spent years navigating planning hurdles and financial structuring, the reform represents a significant milestone.

But connection certainty comes with a new challenge: mobilising the workforce required to turn grid offers into operational assets within increasingly tight timeframes.

What the NESO connections reform changes

NESO’s reform replaces the previous first-come, first-served model with a gate-based system that prioritises viable, shovel-ready projects critical for the UK’s 2030 clean power targets.

The old system had allowed Great Britain’s connections queue to grow tenfold in five years, leaving more than 700 GW of generation and storage projects waiting, around four times what’s actually required.​

Gate 1 offers are being issued by the end of Q1 2026, with Gate 2 offers for pre-2030 connections following by the end of Q2 2026.

The submission window for new applications is expected to open in Q1 2026.

This accelerated timeline means projects that have been in limbo now have connection certainty but only if they can mobilise the right people quickly enough.​

The reform’s impact extends beyond project timelines.

It fundamentally changes how developers and contractors need to think about resource planning.

Previously, long queue times allowed for gradual team building and flexible hiring strategies.

Now, with binding connection dates and enforceable milestones, workforce planning needs to move from a reactive function to a strategic priority that runs parallel with engineering design and procurement.

Regulatory enforcement adds urgency

Alongside NESO’s queue reform, Ofgem has introduced sweeping enforcement measures targeting network operators who fail to meet connection deadlines.

Stronger licence requirements, financial penalties, and tougher sanctions will force transmission and distribution operators to deliver on agreed timelines.​

For developers, this creates a more predictable delivery environment, but it also compresses hiring windows significantly.

Projects that might have had 18-24 months of buffer time now face contractual milestones with real commercial consequences for delay.

The implication for recruitment is stark: you can’t afford to wait until construction mobilisation to secure specialist roles.

Lead times for finding, vetting, and onboarding qualified candidates in niche disciplines can now determine whether a project meets its critical path.

The immediate hiring crunch

The reform’s effect on recruitment is twofold: it’s creating urgent demand for specialist roles whilst simultaneously exposing a structural skills deficit across the energy sector.

This isn’t simply a case of needing more people, it’s about securing professionals with very specific technical qualifications, regulatory competencies, and sector experience that can’t be replicated through short training courses.

Grid infrastructure and construction

Skills shortages across energy and grid infrastructure are expected to continue due to long-term investment programmes and limited availability of experienced professionals.

The Great Grid Upgrade programme alone is looking to fill up to 55,000 jobs across the UK, with acute shortages in electrical and electronic technicians, civil engineering technicians, electricians, fitters, and skilled trades supervisors.

High-voltage (HV) authorised persons are in particularly short supply, and the certification pathway takes time.

Grid capacity isn’t keeping pace with renewable generation, creating a clear bottleneck: projects are approved and funded, assets are being delivered, but the people and infrastructure required to connect, upgrade, and operate the grid are in short supply.​

This shortage extends across the construction supply chain.

Substation engineers, protection and control specialists, and cable jointers with experience in 33kV systems and above are scarce.

Many of these professionals are already committed to multi-year transmission projects, meaning employers need to look beyond conventional talent pools and consider candidates from adjacent industries who can be upskilled.

Project delivery and engineering

With connection dates now enforceable under Ofgem’s new regime, employers need professionals who can bridge engineering and commercial decision-making, understand regulatory and compliance constraints, and support project delivery across multiple stakeholders.

Project managers, commissioning engineers, and construction managers with clean energy experience are in particularly high demand as developers race to meet accelerated connection timelines.

The complexity of renewables projects (balancing planning conditions, environmental consents, grid compliance, health and safety, and commercial deadlines) requires project leaders with experience navigating the unique regulatory landscape of UK energy infrastructure.

Pure project management skills aren’t enough; candidates need demonstrable experience with Distribution Network Operators (DNOs), Transmission Owners (TOs), and NESO processes.

Commissioning and testing engineers with knowledge of IEC 61850 standards, SCADA integration, and grid code compliance are similarly difficult to source.

These professionals are critical for ensuring assets can connect and operate within the technical parameters set by network operators, yet the talent pool remains small and highly competitive.

Operations and maintenance

Battery storage installations are scaling rapidly to balance intermittent generation from wind and solar, creating urgent demand for operations and maintenance (O&M) technicians with SCADA systems experience, performance monitoring capabilities, and high-voltage expertise.

Solar PV technicians are seeing increased demand as the UK targets 40 GW of solar capacity, with regulations requiring most new-build properties to have solar panels fitted by 2027.

The O&M sector faces a particular challenge: many storage and solar assets are still relatively new in the UK, meaning there’s a limited pool of professionals with long-term operational experience.

Employers are increasingly looking for technicians with transferable skills from industrial automation, process control, or power generation who can be trained on renewable-specific systems.

Offshore wind O&M presents additional complexity.

Technicians require not only electrical and mechanical competencies but also offshore survival training, working at height certification, and familiarity with crew transfer vessel (CTV) logistics.

The combination of technical, safety, and logistical requirements significantly narrows the candidate pool.

Renewables development

Offshore wind expansion continues to lead Europe with multiple large projects under development, whilst solar capacity is increasing year-on-year.

Wind energy technicians will have particularly lucrative opportunities in 2026 as wind remains the UK’s leading and expanding renewable source.

Development-stage roles are also under pressure.

Consents managers, environmental impact assessment (EIA) specialists, and grid connection analysts are essential for navigating the planning and regulatory pathways that determine whether projects can progress to construction.

These professionals need deep knowledge of UK planning law, environmental regulation, and energy policy; competencies that take years to develop.

Adapting recruitment strategies

The UK government has announced funding to recruit 400,000 additional workers to transition to careers in renewables by 2030, but immediate project needs are outpacing training pipelines.

Skills shortages mean employers are increasingly open to candidates transitioning from adjacent sectors or reskilling within energy.

Engineers moving into renewables, grid specialists expanding into digital systems, and project professionals gaining sustainability exposure are all benefiting from this shift.

Employers who can offer structured training programmes, such as pathways to industry-recognised HV Authorised Person (AP) or Senior Authorised Person (SAP) qualifications, will have a competitive advantage in attracting talent from oil and gas, automotive, and traditional power sectors.

Widening the talent pool

Forward-thinking employers are reconsidering traditional hiring criteria.

Instead of requiring five years of direct renewables experience, many are now prioritising transferable competencies: electrical engineering fundamentals, project controls experience, safety leadership in high-risk environments, or commissioning expertise from other sectors.

This approach requires investment in onboarding and sector-specific training, but it significantly expands the addressable talent market.

Oil and gas professionals, in particular, bring valuable skills in high-consequence operations, complex project delivery, and regulatory compliance that translate well to offshore wind and large-scale energy infrastructure.

Ex-military personnel also represent an underutilised talent pool.

Many have experience with power generation systems, logistics coordination, and safety-critical operations that align closely with renewables O&M requirements.

Employers who can recognise and translate military qualifications into civilian energy roles will access a disciplined, safety-focused workforce.

The demographic challenge

PwC UK notes that “the energy transition risks being constrained by a skills shortage, driven by an insufficient pipeline of skilled workers and an ageing workforce, with many expected to retire by 2030”.

For recruitment teams, this means competing not just on salary but on long-term career development, training investment, and flexible entry routes for candidates with transferable skills.​

The sector’s demographic profile is concerning.

Many experienced grid engineers, protection specialists, and senior electrical professionals are approaching retirement, and there hasn’t been sufficient investment in graduate and apprentice pipelines to replace them.

This creates a knowledge transfer risk: losing institutional expertise in grid operations, outage management, and compliance workflows that can’t be replicated through external hiring alone.

Progressive employers are addressing this through succession planning, knowledge management programmes, and accelerated development pathways for mid-career professionals.

Recruitment strategies that focus purely on immediate backfill won’t solve the structural challenge—organisations need to think generationally about workforce development.

Planning for 2026 and beyond

NESO’s reform creates a more rational, deliverable project pipeline, but it also compresses timelines significantly.

Employers with connection offers in Gate 1 or Gate 2 need to mobilise specialist talent now, not when construction begins.

Those who treat recruitment as a strategic workstream parallel to engineering and commercial planning will be best positioned to capitalise on connection certainty.

The constraint in UK energy delivery has shifted from policy and capital to execution capability. Projects are financially backed, grid connection timelines are clearer, and planning regimes are becoming more streamlined. What remains scarce is the people capable of delivering within these new, faster parameters.

For project developers and contractors, this means workforce planning must inform commercial strategy.

Connection dates should be stress-tested against realistic hiring timelines. Resource-loaded schedules need to account for the fact that critical specialists may take four to six months to source, vet, and onboard.

Procurement teams securing EPC contracts should be asking bidders not just about technical delivery capability but about their access to qualified labour.

The organisations that will succeed in this environment are those that recognise recruitment as a project risk equal to planning delays or supply chain disruption, and resource it accordingly.

Need support with clean energy recruitment?

The connections reform has created a step-change in hiring urgency across renewables, storage, grid infrastructure, and operations.

If your projects are progressing through NESO’s new gates and you’re facing pressure to secure specialist talent quickly, Astute can help.

We work exclusively in technical and engineering recruitment for the energy sector, with deep expertise across:

• Grid infrastructure and HV electrical engineering

• Renewables project delivery and commissioning

• Battery storage and SCADA operations

• Offshore and onshore wind O&M

• Solar PV installation and maintenance

• Power systems and protection engineering

Our consultants understand the qualifications, competencies, and regulatory requirements that define each role, and we have established networks across the UK energy sector.

Whether you need to fill a single critical position or build an entire project delivery team, we can provide tailored recruitment solutions that align with your connection timelines.

Get in touch with a team today to discuss your hiring requirements and how we can support your projects through the NESO reform transition.