The Connectology® Podcast by Roadnight Taylor

#85 Hypercube's AI perspective with Adam Sroka, CEO, Hypercube

Rachael Eynon is joined by Adam Sroka, CEO of Hypercube, a specialist data and AI consultancy focused on the energy sector, to explore how energy organisations can navigate AI adoption safely and practically. Adam explores: * How the energy sector is roughly a decade behind leading tech industries in AI adoption — caution that exists for good reason given the complexity of multi-stakeholder energy systems * His "risk staircase" approach favours the lowest-risk use case that proves value and builds confidence before scaling up * AI as a quality check: using one model to critique or score the output of another is a practical pattern that could help organisations improve the reliability of AI-generated work without heavy overhead * AI's role in Connections Reform: as grid connection processes grow more complex, there may be opportunities for AI to improve data accessibility, transparency, and decision-making across the connections landscape Connectologist® Catherine Cleary also joined Adam on the Hypercube Energy Podcast, exploring grid connection reform, queue management, and the future of connections from an engineer's perspective — you can listen to that conversation here: https://wearehypercube.com/grid-reform-queue-management-and-the-future-of-connections/ Recorded: 30 March 2026 Our links: Website: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/ [https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/] Newsletter sign up: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/newsletter/ [https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/newsletter/] Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/roadnight-taylor-ltd/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/roadnight-taylor-ltd/] Find if we fit at info@roadnighttaylor.co.uk [info@roadnighttaylor.co.uk]

#84 Grid News and Views 18 - Part 2

Kyle Murchie, Nikki Pillinger, and Rachael Eynon return for Part 2 of GNV18, covering Ofgem's end-to-end review progress and the rapidly evolving demand connections landscape.  * Ofgem's end-to-end review: working groups are already delivering, with DNOs and NESO committed to publishing registers of accepted demand connections from one megawatt and above  * Guaranteed connection dates: Nikki notes DNOs are open to the concept but timing must link to meaningful developer milestones — financial investment decision, contractor appointment, or construction planning — not offer stage  * Data transparency: SSEN and UKPN have improved demand data tools, now separating BESS and non-BESS demand at substation level  * Demand queue growth: the combined transmission and distribution queue grew from approximately 42 gigawatts to around 125 gigawatts between summer 2024 and summer 2025, driven by AI data centres, hydrogen, and industrial decarbonisation  * Information Request Notice: a mandatory NESO request targeting Gate 1 and Gate 2 demand customers requiring detailed project progress and financial information — closed on the 13 April 2026, with concerns raised about response quality given tight timescales  * DESNZ strategic demand consultation: running in parallel with responses due 15 April 2026, exploring enhanced queue readiness requirements, a strategic demand project designation process, and potential regional targets for data centre placement  Recorded: 07 April 2026  Our links:   Website: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/ [https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/]   Newsletter sign up: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/newsletter/ [https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/newsletter/]   Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/roadnight-taylor-ltd/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/roadnight-taylor-ltd/]   Find if we fit at info@roadnighttaylor.co.uk [info@roadnighttaylor.co.uk]

#83 Grid News and Views 18 - Part 1

In Part 1 of Grid News and Views 18, Connectologists® Kyle Murchie, Nikki Pillinger, and Rachael Eynon cover the latest Gate 2 offer progress, the methodology consultation's most pressing areas, and emerging repowering challenges.   * Gate 2 transmission offers: Progress on protected offers had reached 80% issued as of late last week, though whether that figure covers transmission and distribution remains unclear. Protected 2026/27 distribution offers are still expected before end of May  * Offer quality: Some offers are missing key appendices and Gate 1 offers have contained inaccurate statements — worth checking before signing. SSEN Transmission has proposed a pre-offer information call to help developers sense-check their offer ahead of receipt  * Methodology consultation: Deadline extended to the 21st. Key question: whether protections clauses 3A and 3B should be disapplied for batteries due to oversupply — though Nikki cautions this is premature given unknown acceptance rates and market forces  * Capacity reallocation: Capacity freed by departing projects goes to existing queue participants in the first instance, not new applicants   * Repowering: Clear policy needed for older distribution-connected sites. Questions remain around impact to queue position, and what would be deemed a technology change. Regen's recent paper on repowering wind is worth a read  Since recording, the NESO has published updated figures confirming 88% of Gate 2 protected offers have now been issued, with fewer than ten TOCOs outstanding per Transmission Owner. NESO has also issued more than 1,000 Gate 1 offers. Transmission offers remain on track for mid-April and distribution offers for mid-May. A cross-industry dashboard led by the ENA will shortly provide a consistent view of progress across transmission and distribution.  Recorded: 07 April 2026  Our links:   Website: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/ [https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/]   Newsletter sign up: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/newsletter/ [https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/newsletter/]   Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/roadnight-taylor-ltd/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/roadnight-taylor-ltd/]   Find if we fit at info@roadnighttaylor.co.uk [info@roadnighttaylor.co.uk]

#82 Connections Reform from a NGET perspective with John Twomey, NGET

Pete Aston is joined by John Twomey, Director of Customer and Network Development at National Grid Electricity Transmission, to explore where Connection Reform stands and what developers can expect as the engineering phase gets underway.  * Connection Reform has entered execution mode - system studies are now underway, with transparency, customer-centricity, and contract quality as the three priorities shaping Gate 2 offers  * Connection dates will be ambitious but deliverable - assessments draw on project critical paths, system access windows, and direct customer input on risk appetite, with deferral conversations already happening where needed  * Battery oversubscription is a significant challenge — NGET needs around 10GW of battery connections by 2035, yet over 40GW of batteries will receive a Gate 2 offer, with pressure falling on substation bays rather than wider network reinforcement  * Bay sharing is emerging as a key solution — two or more customers sharing a single substation bay is being actively assessed across both legacy and new-build substations before offers go out to customers  * Attrition will open optimisation opportunities — as offers go unaccepted, options emerge for projects further back in the queue, with customers engaged individually before any contract changes are made  * NGET is scaling significantly — a new five-year price control with Ofgem covers around £35billion of investment, backed by a new regional supply chain framework designed to accelerate delivery  Recorded: 26 March 2026  Our links: Website: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/ [https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/]   Newsletter sign up: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/newsletter/ [https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/newsletter/]   Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/roadnight-taylor-ltd/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/roadnight-taylor-ltd/]   Find if we fit at info@roadnighttaylor.co.uk [info@roadnighttaylor.co.uk]

#81 Transmission licence exemption for demand

Connectologist® Pete Aston is joined by colleagues Alex Ikonic and Catherine Cleary to discuss Ofgem's Call for Input on demand connections reform — focusing on the legal ambiguity preventing demand customers from owning high-voltage transmission assets.  Key discussion points:  * The disparity: generators can own 400 kV assets; demand customers in England and Wales cannot — restricting engineering flexibility for large projects  * Energy parks at risk: hybrid projects with a “Grid Co” owning shared assets may inadvertently require a transmission licence  * Roadnight Taylor's proposal: a Class Exemption for sole-use assets — automatic, no application, no ongoing adjudication  * Gate 2 implications: realistic implementation likely for Phase 2 (2031+) projects  * Ofgem's Call for Input closes 13 March 2026 Recorded: 04 March 2026  Our links:   Website: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/ [https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/]   Newsletter sign up: https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/newsletter/ [https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/newsletter/]   Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/roadnight-taylor-ltd/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/roadnight-taylor-ltd/]   Find if we fit at info@roadnighttaylor.co.uk [info@roadnighttaylor.co.uk]