GECCO is exploring a new way for community energy organisations to connect to the electricity network. This event brings together community energy organisations interested in the topic to share knowledge and insights gained so far, and to help shape the project’s next steps.

Many renewable energy generation projects, including community-led ones, face barriers to connecting to electricity networks, often due to limited network capacity and the high cost of the reinforcement needed to accommodate them.

The Geoprint for Energy Club Connections and Operations (GECCO) project is an innovation project exploring whether Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) could offer a bespoke type of connection – a “Geoprint” – to generation projects connected to an Energy Club, where the electricity generated is matched with demand from club members. This could reduce the amount of electricity that needs to flow out to the wider network, potentially enabling faster, cheaper connections.

This project won’t just test whether the idea works technically – it will also test whether it’s realistic from a regulatory and commercial perspective.

GECCO is an innovation project funded through Ofgem’s Network Innovation Allowance (NIA), running from February 2026 to April 2027. You can learn more here.

GECCO is led by National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED), working with Regen, TNEI and Energy Local.

The three community energy case study sites are Hook Norton Low Carbon, Totnes Renewable Energy Society and Llangattock Green Valleys.