At a glance
NESO and Ofgem outline sweeping grid reforms and early investment to fast‑track 132 GW of clean energy projects and major transmission “superhighways”.
Housing policy shifts gather pace with the Planning & Infrastructure Bill nearing Royal Assent and Future Homes Standard legislation due this month.
Building safety and remediation move up the agenda with a new Remediation Bill, delayed Building Safety Levy and Lords scrutiny of regulatory delays.
Nuclear, storage and onshore wind all gain momentum, signalling a more diversified net zero investment pipeline.
Construction payment, tax and site safety regimes tighten, reshaping compliance for contractors and clients.
Today’s update: the UK’s energy transition is being hard‑wired into the grid, with new connection rules and transmission spend set against a year of strain for the wider construction sector. At the same time, ministers are pushing ahead with planning reform, safety legislation and payment consultations that will reset risk and compliance for 2026. Here’s what you need to know to stay ahead today.
Ongoing Stories
🏛️ Following earlier coverage of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, today’s updates confirm the legislation is now close to Royal Assent, with government positioning it to streamline approvals and unlock additional housing supply.
🚆 Building on recent attention to clean energy infrastructure planning, Ofgem’s latest approvals for major transmission upgrades add concrete schemes and timelines to the emerging grid investment picture.
Top 5 Headlines
🚆 NESO to overhaul grid connections, prioritising 132 GW of shovel‑ready clean energy
The National Energy System Operator (NESO) has announced major reforms to UK electricity grid connection processes, replacing the existing first‑come, first‑served approach with a prioritised pipeline for shovel‑ready low‑carbon projects. The reforms are designed to unlock up to 132 GW of projects and could enable as much as £40bn in annual investment by clearing the current queue bottleneck. For developers and networks, this marks a fundamental change in how grid access risk is managed and will influence site selection, programme timing and funding assumptions. (Source: NESO)
🚆 Ofgem greenlights early spend on three “electricity superhighway” schemes
Ofgem has approved early investment and updated delivery dates for three major transmission projects – the Great Western Network Connection (GWNC), Eastern Green Link 3 (EGL3) and Eastern Green Link 4 (EGL4). The projects are expected to deliver £3–6bn in consumer benefits while strengthening Great Britain’s clean power transmission capacity, including offshore wind links that minimise environmental impact through underground cabling in sensitive areas. Returning today in more detail, these approvals shift several strategic grid reinforcements from concept towards delivery, creating long‑run workstreams for civils, cabling and environmental teams. (Source: Ofgem)
🏗️ 2025: a hard year for UK construction as NISTA and new pipeline bed in
Analysis of 2025 highlights a difficult year for the UK construction sector, dominated by major policy shifts including the merger of the National Infrastructure Commission and Infrastructure and Projects Authority into the National Infrastructure and Services Transformation Authority (NISTA). NISTA has published a 10‑year pipeline that leans into energy and health infrastructure, while housing delivery remains broadly flat and private finance questions persist around schemes such as the Lower Thames Crossing. The combination of a re‑profiled public pipeline, unresolved private funding models and limited impact from procurement reforms points to a more selective, policy‑driven market for contractors and investors. (Source: Pinsent Masons)
🏛️ Planning & Infrastructure Bill, Future Homes Standard and safety reforms converge
Returning today, the Planning & Infrastructure Bill is now expected to secure Royal Assent by year‑end, with measures aimed at streamlining planning and unlocking stalled housing sites. In parallel, Future Homes Standard legislation will be laid before Parliament this month to take effect from December 2026, requiring new homes to be “zero‑carbon ready” and gas‑free from December 2027, while the Building Safety Levy has been pushed back from autumn 2025 to autumn 2026. The combined effect is a compressed window for developers and local authorities to align design standards, viability and compliance strategies ahead of a structurally different housing and safety regime. (Source: Greenberg Traurig; Womble Bond Dickinson)
🌱 RWE commits £200m to UK’s largest battery storage project in Pembroke
RWE has confirmed a £200m investment in a 350 MW / 700 MWh lithium‑ion battery storage facility at Pembroke in Wales, its largest UK battery project to date. Construction is due to begin in early 2026 with commissioning targeted for 2028, providing large‑scale flexibility to support intermittent renewables on the network. The scheme adds a flagship storage project to the UK’s net zero build‑out, reinforcing opportunities for grid‑scale electrical, civils and systems integrators in a fast‑maturing asset class. (Source: RWE)
🏛️ New Remediation Bill to harden cladding deadlines and sanctions
Government is preparing a Remediation Bill that will legally require landlords to complete unsafe cladding remediation within set deadlines, backed by strengthened enforcement powers and criminal sanctions. This sits alongside an expected House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee report on 11 December into delays in building safety regulation and their impact on housing delivery. The measures will tighten pressure on building owners and project teams to de‑risk legacy stock, with direct implications for capital allocation, programme planning and dispute exposure. (Source: UK Government)
Also in the news
🏗️ The House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee will this week publish findings on building safety regulation delays, scrutinising the Building Safety Regulator’s impact on housing delivery. (Source: UK Parliament)
🏗️ The Building Safety Levy’s implementation has been postponed by a year to autumn 2026, giving developers additional time to plan for the new charge. (Source: Womble Bond Dickinson)
🏗️ The Construction Industry Scheme has been updated to reflect new contractor thresholds and compliance expectations following recent case law, with implications for tax and cashflow planning across supply chains. (Source: UK Government)
🏗️ Government consultations on banning retentions and tightening payment practices in construction are set to conclude in early 2026, signalling potential structural change in how risk and working capital are shared. (Source: UK Government)
⚙️ New health and safety rules now require Level 1 certification for all individuals accessing construction sites, with zero‑tolerance enforcement against unqualified workers. (Source: HSE)
The Daily Build is written for people shaping the UK’s project pipeline, from boardrooms to site offices. If this briefing is useful, consider forwarding it to colleagues working on strategy, bids or compliance for 2026.