This is a big deal. For me the problem is that industry has been wanting more leadership from Ofgem and Govt on offshore transmission for many years. Without it wind farms have had no choice but to build single links back to shore and bear these planning risks. https://twitter.com/reNEWS_Stephen/status/1362376420878671879

But with more and more and bigger and bigger schemes coming through, that puts a lot of pressure on onshore transmission where the wind farm connects. The infrastructure needed when the transmission cable comes ashore and connects into transmission is big.

Industry has been asking Govt for a more meshed approach and an offshore system operator since original consultations (from 2012) on "enduring" offshore transmission.

But Govt and Ofgem had no comprehension of scale that offshore wind could become and worried about industry's ability to deliver. Out of fear for stranded assets paid for by consumer nothing happened, and developers and OFTOs have focused on single line connections.

Shared connections have always been possible but without a system operator or counterparty, process is too risky for developers (also facing Govt auction penalties for late delivery).

Credit to Ofgem and Govt for now addressing this seriously now, but issue was ignored for too long.

And the result is that developers have had to carry these inefficient grid costs, and also planning risks. And Govt here looks like it has been caught out trying to draw too narrow line around the consent. Again, the developer bears the cost and risk from that.