Location of utility scale, transmission voltage assets during the Great Grid Upgrade Clean Power 2030: The Action Plan Unpacked 95% clean generation by 2030 is government policy. AR7 auctions, flexibility roadmaps, and non-commodity cost pressures all flow from this single target. Clean Power 2030 Contact CMEI Clean Power 2030: What the Action Plan Means for Energy Investors 95% clean electricity generation by 2030 is UK government policy — not a target, a commitment. The Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, 2024, sets out the specific mechanisms. For developers and investors, the implications are immediate: The Numbers That Matter Target: 95% clean generation by 2030 , from ~60% today Renewables required: 50 GW offshore wind, 30 GW solar, 30 GW onshore wind Storage required: 30 GW BESS — a sixfold increase from the 4.5 GW operational today Flexibility required: 60W of clean flexibility by 2030 (Clean Flexibility Roadmap) Transmission investment: £90bn Ofgem RIIO-3 settlement; CSNP identifies required network by 2027 AR7 & AR7a: A Record-Breaking Outcome Both auctions closed in early 2026 with stronger-than-expected results: 8.4 GW of offshore wind secured in AR7 — the largest ever UK CfD award — at clearing prices below the government's Administrative Strike Price 6.2 GW secured in AR7a across onshore wind (1.3 GW), solar (4.9 GW — a UK record), and tidal (20 MW) Combined: 14.7 GW of new clean capacity contracted — enough to power ~16 million homes Projects must be operational by March 2031; CfD agreements run 15–20 years The auction success does not, however, resolve the underlying tension: non-commodity costs (BSUoS, TNUoS, CfD levy) are rising as a proportion of total electricity bills, creating political pressure on the mechanism ahead of AR8 . Every long-term revenue model should reflect this. Reformed National Pricing (RNP): The Zonal Question is Settled — But the Market Is Not In July 2025, the government made its most significant market design decision in years: Great Britain will keep a single national wholesale electricity price. Zonal pricing was rejected. That decision did not close the debate — it opened a new chapter. The programme is now called Reformed National Pricing (RNP) , and in February 2026 NESO published a 133-page Call for Input detailing five specific proposals to reform balancing, settlement, and dispatch arrangements. The consultation closed in April 2026. DESNZ is now reviewing responses and is expected to announce next steps later in 2026. The five proposals on the table: Lower the mandatory Balancing Mechanism participation threshold to increase market liquidity Re-align the trading Gate Closure to one hour before each settlement period Require physical notifications to match traded positions Require unit-level BM bidding, ending portfolio trading across GB Shorten settlement periods from 30 minutes to 15 or even 5 minutes(!) to better align with e.g. weather. Why this matters for your project: Each of these reforms directly affects the BESS revenue stack and operational dispatch strategy. Unit-level bidding and shorter settlement periods alone would fundamentally change how battery assets are operated and optimised. Any financial model built today should stress-test against all five scenarios — the direction of travel is clear even if the implementation timeline is not. What Changes in 2030-Ready Markets Three structural shifts are already visible in how well-capitalised developers are positioning: Co-location of wind/solar with BESS to optimise grid capacity and revenue stacking Merchant tolerance increasing as CfD competition intensifies — senior lenders are now accepting partial merchant exposure on bankable projects Long-duration storage moving from policy discussion to early financial close, backed by Ofgem's cap-and-floor mechanism Talk to CM Energy Insight Clean Power 2030 creates opportunity and complexity in equal measure. CM Energy Insight provides independent advisory on CfD strategy, project finance, and market positioning — without the institutional conflicts of larger firms. Let's Start a Conversation Whether you need a sounding board on a live deal, an interim project lead, or a fresh perspective on market strategy — the first conversation is always free and always confidential. Phone: +44 7884 231 261 Email: chris@cmenergyinsight.com LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/cmenergyinsight Name* Email* Company* Message* Send Message

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Gigawatt Scale Battery Storage (BESS) development and M&A Advice. The UK BESS Boom: Are You Positioned? The UK's grid-scale battery pipeline is scaling to 30GW by 2030. Duration is extending, revenues are stacking, and financial sophistication is rising fast. Battery Storage Contact CMEI UK BESS Investment in 2026: Costs, Revenue, and Scale Battery energy storage is the backbone of the UK's Clean Power 2030 programme — and in 2026, the market is scaling faster than most financial models anticipated. The Scale of the Opportunity The UK is deploying 2 GW of new grid-scale BESS annually, as Europe's leading battery storage market. The Clean Power 2030 Action Plan targets 30 GW by 2030 — a sixfold increase from today's 4.5 GW. Turnkey CAPEX for 2-hour systems is falling below £300/kWh, driven by LFP cell dominance and intensifying supplier competition. The Revenue Stack Has Shifted Frequency services once dominated BESS revenues. The 2026 picture: Wholesale arbitrage and Balancing Mechanism — now ~50% of project revenue, up from 8% in 2022 Capacity Market contracts — T-4 auctions (up to 15 years) anchor project finance and provide bankable revenue certainty Ancillary services — still in the stack, but at compressed margins Flexibility Purchase Agreements (FPAs) — floor-style arrangements with balance sheet incumbents including EDF, Statkraft and SSE have become standard for projects seeking leverage Developers who built models on frequency income alone are under pressure. Well-structured projects targeting multi-market optimisation currently achieve unlevered IRRs of 14–18% and equity returns exceeding 25–30% . Long-Duration Storage: Emerging but Contested Ofgem's cap-and-floor scheme for LDES (8+ hours) introduces a revenue floor for longer-duration technologies. First approvals are expected by mid-2026. However, concerns persist that subsidised LDES competing in the same markets as unsubsidised short-duration BESS could distort pricing — a live policy risk that every project model should reflect now. The CATL Sodium Wildcard: What It Means for UK Storage Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), the world's largest battery manufacturer, began commercial production of its second-generation sodium-ion cells in late 2024, with full-scale deployment accelerating through 2025–26. Unlike lithium iron phosphate, sodium-ion chemistry uses no lithium, cobalt, or nickel — eliminating the commodity exposure that remains the single biggest supply chain risk for UK BESS developers. The implications for the UK market: CAPEX could fall further. Sodium-ion cells are already at manufacturing cost parity with LFP for 2-hour applications in China. If CATL's sodium supply chain reaches European markets at scale by 2027–28, turnkey UK BESS CAPEX — already heading below £300/kWh — could compress toward £200–230/kWh, fundamentally re-pricing the levelised cost of storage. Wholesale power price compression. Cheaper, more abundant storage accelerates the erosion of peak price spreads. Projects modelling 2030 revenues on today's spreads should treat sodium-ion deployment as a structural downside scenario. New entrant risk. CATL's direct market entry strategy — demonstrated by its investment in UK EV charging and European gigafactories — suggests it will not remain a passive technology supplier. Vertically integrated competition from the manufacturer itself is a live strategic risk for UK BESS developers seeking third-party offtake. For UK investors and developers, sodium-ion is a market structure shift to model. Projects reaching FID in 2026 with 10-to-15-year investment horizons will operate into a storage market that looks materially different from today's. Three Things to Watch in 2026 Lithium price volatility — LFP remains dominant, but commodity exposure in supply contracts is a growing procurement risk Duration extension — next-generation 587 Ah cells expected in mainstream deployment by Q3 2026 BESS vs. gas peakers — BESS has reached cost parity with gas peakers for short-duration grid services, changing competitive dynamics for flexible generation investors Talk to CM Energy Insight CM Energy Insight advises on BESS project development, revenue modelling, procurement, and investment structuring. The first conversation is always free and always confidential. Let's Start a Conversation Whether you need a sounding board on a live deal, an interim project lead, or a fresh perspective on market strategy — the first conversation is always free and always confidential. Phone: +44 7884 231 261 Email: chris@cmenergyinsight.com LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/cmenergyinsight Name* Email* Company* Message* Send Message

Consultant for execution and advice from energy policy, Asset M&A, commodity trading, to infrastructure finance. Energy has always been the prize. The intersection of capital, commodity risk, technology, and geopolitics drives which energy assets are financed, built, and operated. CM Energy Insight applies 40 years of practitioner-level energy expertise — engineering, commodity trading, project finance, and policy — when getting it right determines whether a project reaches FID or fails Explore Our Latest Insights Contact Chris UK Data Centre Power Access — Grid Connections, Embedded Generation & Wholesale Power Strategy Delivered by an operator who has built the plants Battery Storage The UK BESS Boom: Are You Positioned? With NESO's Gate 2 offers now landing, developers face hard decisions on timing, viability, and re-application. Read More Grid Connections Grid Queue Reform: What Gate 2 Means for Your Project The UK's grid-scale battery pipeline = 30GW by 2030. Duration is extending, revenues are stacking, and financial sophistication is rising fast. Read More Data Centres 50 GW of Datacentre Demand AI Growth Zones, a 6 GW government target, demand queue reform, and a new Connections Accelerator are redrawing the UK's power demand map. What does this mean for energy investors? Read More UK SMR Advanced Nuclear Framework - Accelerating Delivery CM Energy Insight has been chosen as the lead energy expert for a South Coast UK SMR Development Read More UK Flexibility Markets The Roadmap to 66 GW by 2030 CM Energy Insight unpacks the Clean Flexibility Roadmap and what it means for investors Read More Clean Power 2030 The Action Plan Unpacked 95% clean generation by 2030 is government policy. AR7 auctions, flexibility roadmaps, and non-commodity cost pressures all flow from this single target. Read More Why CM Energy Insight? Multidiscipline Experience in the European Power Sector CM Energy Insight draws on nearly 40 years at the intersection of energy engineering, commodity trading, infrastructure finance, and policy . Energy transitions are won or lost at the intersection: technical realities meet capital structures and geopolitical commodity risk. Larger firms silo that knowledge across departments. Here, it arrives in a single conversation. And, of course, we retain a network of people we reply upon where the project demands it. 400kV transmission (TSO) grid connections — delivered, not advised upon 500 MWe BESS project moves from development, to capital raise and construction Active on DSIT Connections Accelerator and AI Growth Zone power programme Live data centre CCGT/OCGT/gas engine TSO connection mandate (April 2026) Cross-domain: engineering, commodity trading, and infrastructure finance in a single engagement Get in Touch Services Data Centre Power Access Advisory Grid connection strategy, embedded generation (CCGT/OCGT/gas engines/BESS), AI Growth Zone power pricing support, and corporate PPA procurement Learn more Asset Development From strategic assessment, planning, procurement, and commodity agreements to FID-ready investment case. Learn more Commodity Trading & De-risking PPA structuring, route-to-market strategy, and hedging frameworks. In a market where geopolitical shifts commodity risk overnight, long-dated agreements are strategic assets, not just financial instruments Learn more Development to Infrastructure Finance Navigating family offices, private equity, banks, MLAs, and insurance to build robust and competitive capital structures. Learn more Interim & NED Hands-on interim management or board-level non-executive oversight during critical project phases. Learn more Latest from the Blog Working on a UK Data Centre or AI Growth Zone? The grid connection queue: Wait times exceed a decade. If you need a practitioner who has delivered 400kV connections and is actively advising on live data centre power — the first conversation is always free and confidential. Phone: +44 7884 231 261 Email: chris@cmenergyinsight.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrismoore0908/ Renewable Energy Project Management Name* Email* Company* Message* Send Message

Advising Investors on the opportunity to invest in flexible power generation assets to capture the value of intermittency The Roadmap to 66 GW by 2030 The UK needs 51–66 GW of clean flexibility by 2030. CM Energy Insight unpacks the Clean Flexibility Roadmap and what it means for investors. UK Flexible Markets Contact CMEI UK Flexibility Markets: The Roadmap to 66 GW by 2030 The UK's Clean Flexibility Roadmap (July 2025) set a target that few fully absorbed: a two-to-threefold increase in flexibility capacity, from 24 GW today to 66 GW by 2030. Six months in, the race to deliver it is exposing both the opportunities and the structural barriers. What the Roadmap Actually Requires The 66 GW target is not a BESS-only story. The Roadmap explicitly spreads the requirement across a technology portfolio: Short-duration BESS — the current workhorse, but compressed margins mean multi-market optimisation is now essential Long-duration energy storage (LDES ) — pumped hydro, compressed air, flow batteries; Ofgem's cap-and-floor scheme provides a revenue floor for 8+ hour assets Demand-side response (DSR ) — consumer and industrial load shifting, growing fastest among EV fleet operators and large industrials Interconnectors — IFA2, ElecLink, and Viking Link now contribute meaningfully to the GB flexibility stack Distributed generation — gas peakers, embedded solar with storage, and — increasingly — fuel cell systems 2026 Policy Developments to Watch Three specific regulatory moves are reshaping the market right now: Demand Flexibility Service (DFS) Amendment A18 — Ofgem approved NESO's revised DFS terms in March 2026, signalling a more permanent role for consumer-side flexibility in system balancing EU Flexibility Needs Assessments — EU member states are required to publish national flexibility targets by June 2026, directly influencing cross-border interconnector dispatch and GB market pricing NESO Enabling Demand-Side Flexibility vision — published December 2024, this sets out the roadmap for DSR participation in NESO's core balancing markets, with implementation running through 2026–27 Game-Changing Innovation: Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) The most underappreciated entrant to the UK flexibility market is the solid oxide fuel cell. SOFC systems convert natural gas, hydrogen or biogas directly into electricity at 60%+ electrical efficiency — significantly higher than gas turbines — with near-zero NOx emissions and no combustion. What makes SOFC strategically interesting for flexibility: Response characteristics — modern SOFC units can ramp from 20% to 100% load in under 10 minutes, making them eligible for Enhanced Frequency Response and Slow Frequency Response markets Co-location potential — SOFC pairs naturally with green hydrogen storage, creating a genuinely long-duration dispatchable asset without the geographic constraints of pumped hydro Planning advantages — no combustion means dramatically simplified permitting compared to gas peakers, particularly in peri-urban locations where datacentre and industrial heat demand is co-located Heat recovery — high-temperature exhaust (600–900°C) enables combined heat and power (CHP) configurations, improving overall system economics in district heating or industrial applications Several UK trials are underway in 2026. The technology is not yet at utility scale in GB, but the economics are improving fast as hydrogen supply infrastructure matures — and developers who understand SOFC now will be first movers when the capacity market recognises it formally. Three Numbers That Define the 2026 Opportunity £multi-billion — estimated total flexibility investment required to hit the 66 GW target by 2030 66 GW — the capacity range the UK needs; every GW gap is a commercial opening 24 GW — where the market stands today; the gap is large, the timeline is tight, and the policy framework is in place Talk to CM Energy Insight Flexibility is the backbone of Clean Power 2030. CM Energy Insight helps developers, investors, and utilities position across the full flexibility stack — from BESS revenue modelling to SOFC feasibility and DSR aggregation strategy. The first conversation is always free and always confidential. Let's Start a Conversation Whether you need a sounding board on a live deal, an interim project lead, or a fresh perspective on market strategy — the first conversation is always free and always confidential. Phone: +44 7884 231 261 Email: chris@cmenergyinsight.com LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/cmenergyinsight Name* Email* Company* Message* Send Message

Experience-based advice on how to successfully triage, design, develop and fund energy infrastructure From strategic need, through siting, planning, procurement, and commodity agreements to FID-ready investment case. Asset Development Contact CMEI Most Energy Projects Don't Fail at Construction. They Fail in Development . From site identification to FID, the critical failure points are rarely technical. They are the intersections — where commodity risk meets capital structure, or where policy shifts meet offtake terms. As illustrated across this website, the UK energy market is in a period of structural transformation. Clean Power 2030 demands a deployment rate of new generation and storage capacity without precedent in peacetime. The grid connection queue has been reset. Planning reform is underway. Offtake markets are being redesigned. Capital is available — but selective. Investors are funding projects led by teams that can demonstrate they understand what has changed and why , not just what the textbook says. In this environment, the quality of project development and its VDR documentation — the decisions made between concept and Final Investment Decision — determines whether an asset gets built, gets funded, and generates the returns its sponsors expect. What Development Actually Involves in 2026 Energy asset development has never been a straight line, but the number of intersecting variables has multiplied in 2026 !. A BESS project that looked straightforward two years ago now needs to resolve gate 2 connection positioning, post-auction capacity market viability, a revenue stack that is shifting quarter by quarter, a LDES cap-and-floor interaction assessment (if duration is above four hours), location price signals, and a financing structure that satisfies lenders who have become significantly more sophisticated in their due diligence requirements!! A gas peaker project faces a different set of questions — but no simpler ones. T-1 and T-4 capacity market auctions remain open to flexible gas, but the policy trajectory is clear: REMA's wholesale market reform and the Clean Power 2030 programme will progressively marginalise unabated gas(??). A credible development case must now model the asset's economic life under zonal pricing scenarios, account for potential carbon cost trajectories, and present a coherent end-of-life or (BESS, SMR?) conversion pathway. Lenders and investors are asking these questions at the point of commitment — which means developers must have the answers before they go to market. SMR development occupies a different position on the risk curve entirely. The first (Rolls-Royce) SMR fleet at Wylfa will not reach FID until approximately 2029. Between now and then, the programme will consume significant pre-FID advisory and development resource — in owner's engineering, commercial structuring, offtake design, supply chain development, and regulatory engagement. The CM Energy Insight Development Pathway - 40 years of experience. Development advisory is not generic. The value it delivers depends entirely on whether the adviser has (repeatedly) done this before — across technologies, across market cycles, and across the full journey from concept need statement to FID. CM Energy Insight brings that track record. The core development pathway covers: Concept scoping and market positioning — establishing the commercial and political rationale, technology selection criteria, site and grid strategy, and the realistic development timeline before development capital is budgeted. Grid connection strategy and Gate 2 positioning — analysing transmission line location and queue position, connection offer risk, and the strategic options available to a project under the reformed NESO connection framework. Permitting and planning strategy — development consent sequencing for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) and locally determined consents, including environmental impact assessment management and stakeholder engagement. Procurement and EPC strategy — competitive procurement design, contractor risk allocation, insurance design, and contract terms for a market in which equipment supply chains are stretched and cost certainty is harder to achieve than at any point in the last decade. Commodity agreements and offtake structuring — PPA term sheets, route-to-market strategy, capacity market positioning, and flexibility market access — all calibrated to the current state of the market, not a model built three years ago. The FID-ready investment case — a fully integrated project brief, financial model, credible independent market analysis, shareholder agreements, lender facility agreements, risk register, insurance design, that a serious investor, lender, or project finance bank can read without supplementary explanation. Why Boutique Development Advisory Delivers More Large advisory firms build detailed models. CM Energy Insight builds investment cases . The difference is not a matter of scale — it is a matter of accountability. When a senior practitioner leads the engagement from concept to close, the development case is internally consistent, the assumptions are defensible, and the commercial judgements are made by someone with direct and credible market experience — not delegated to an analyst in a workstream. In a market where the cost of a development error — a missed gate 2 offer, a mis-specified PPA, a planning condition that triggers a delay — can destroy project economics, the quality of the development team is not a secondary consideration. It is the primary risk. CM Energy Insight works with asset developers, asset owners, and project sponsors at every stage of the development lifecycle. To discuss your project, request a conversation. Let's Start a Conversation Whether you need a sounding board on a live deal, an interim project lead, or a fresh perspective on market strategy — the first conversation is always free and always confidential. Phone: +44 7884 231 261 Email: chris@cmenergyinsight.com LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/cmenergyinsight Name* Email* Company* Message* Send Message

Route-to-market strategy and hedging frameworks for renewable and flexible energy assets. PPA structuring, option pricing, weather volatility, route-to-market strategy, and hedging frameworks for renewable and flexible assets. Commodity Trading Contact CMEI Energy Commodity Trading & De-risking in a Volatile 2026 The era of predictable baseload pricing is over. In 2026, energy commodity risk is no longer just about wind yields or winter temperatures — it is driven by fundamental market redesigns, global geopolitical flashpoints, and UK domestic political realignments . From REMA to RNP: The New Basis Risk The long-running debate over REMA has now crystallized into the transition toward RNP (Reformed National Pricing). For asset owners and traders, this is a paradigm shift. The unified GB wholesale price is fracturing. A Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) struck for a wind farm in Scotland now carries vastly different pricing dynamics and curtailment risks than a solar asset in the South East . Understanding, modeling, and hedging locational basis risk is now the single most critical challenge in route-to-market strategy. Global Chokepoints: The Strait of Hormuz The June 2026 escalations in the Strait of Hormuz serve as a stark reminder of the UK’s structural exposure to global LNG markets. As transit risks spike gas prices, that volatility cascades directly into the UK wholesale power market. Gas peakers and flexible BESS assets are seeing massive, unpredictable dispatch signals. If your trading strategy or revenue model assumes stable underlying commodity inputs or predictable spark spreads, it is fundamentally exposed. Domestic Disruption: Rail Nationalisation Commodity risk is not exclusively international. The ongoing rollout of UK rail nationalisation has introduced unexpected logistical friction into domestic supply chains. For biomass facilities reliant on continuous bulk deliveries, and developers requiring heavy freight for infrastructure components, state-managed rail logistics have emerged as a tangible operational bottleneck. When domestic transport becomes a commodity constraint, physical supply chain hedging becomes just as critical as financial hedging. Political Volatility: The Reform Party Factor The recent emergence of the UK Reform party as a major electoral force introduces a profound new layer of regulatory risk. With a platform actively hostile to Net Zero mandates and renewable subsidies, the cross-party political consensus that underpinned early 2020s investment is fracturing. Investors and funds must now rigorously stress-test their long-term PPAs and revenue models against scenarios of policy reversal, windfall taxes, or subsidy dilution. Talk to CM Energy Insight CM Energy Insight provides senior-level advisory on PPA structuring, route-to-market strategy, and hedging frameworks for renewable and flexible assets. We help developers and funds build commercial structures that survive contact with a volatile reality. The first conversation is always free and confidential. Let's Start a Conversation Whether you need a sounding board on a live deal, an interim project lead, or a fresh perspective on market strategy — the first conversation is always free and always confidential. Phone: +44 7884 231 261 Email: chris@cmenergyinsight.com LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/cmenergyinsight Name* Email* Company* Message* Send Message

Transaction focussed interim and NED for energy businesses Interim Management and Non-Executive Director Support Senior interim management and board-level NED support for energy asset developers, investors, and funds during critical project phases. Contact CMEI Sometimes What a Project Needs Is Not a Report. It Is a Decision-Maker. Energy transition leadership requires a practitioner who can hold the geopolitical, regulatory, and financial picture simultaneously. Scar tissue is a prerequisite, not an advantage. There are moments in the lifecycle of an energy project when a consultancy deliverable is not the right answer. When the programme is off track, the financing is stalled, the EPC contractor is in dispute, or the board needs independent oversight that the executive team cannot (due to bandwidth) provide to itself — the requirement is for senior hands-on leadership, not analytical support. CM Energy Insight provides two distinct forms of senior personal engagement: interim executive management and non-executive director support. Both are grounded in the same fundamental proposition: forty years of direct experience in energy asset development, commodity trading, project finance, and energy transition strategy, applied at the point where it is most needed. Interim Management: When the Project Needs a Senior Leader, Not a Consultant Interim management engagements are typically triggered by one of four circumstances: a leadership gap caused by departure or incapacity; a project that has reached a critical phase — FID, financial close, EPC mobilisation — that requires dedicated senior resource; a turnaround situation where previous management has failed to deliver; or a strategic inflection point where the organisation needs external discipline to make and implement a decision. The engagements CM Energy Insight undertakes at interim executive level include: Project Director roles for energy assets at development, consenting, financing, or construction stage — BESS, onshore wind, solar, gas peaker, hydrogen, and waste-to-value. Chief Strategy/Commercial/Executive Officer engagements for energy businesses navigating M&A, market entry, commodity strategy redesign, or fund formation. Programme director roles for multi-asset portfolios where a developer or investor needs a single point of accountability for project execution across a pipeline. Turnaround management for projects or businesses where commercial assumptions have broken down, relationships with key counterparties are stressed, or programme delivery is at risk. The distinguishing characteristic of an effective interim executive is not the speed with which they produce a document. It is the speed with which they understand the commercial and technical reality of the situation, build the trust of the team and the board, state what's wrong, and make the decisions that move the project forward. That requires direct experience — not delegation to a delivery team. Non-Executive Director: Independent Oversight at Board Level The energy transition investment market has generated a large number of special purpose vehicles , project companies, and fund structures that require independent board governance. For family offices investing in a BESS platform, a PE fund building a portfolio of flexible generation assets, or an SMR development company preparing for institutional investors, a credible and experienced independent NED is not a governance box to tick. It is a material contributor to investment committee confidence and long-term asset value. The contribution an effective energy sector NED makes is specific and measurable: Investment and commercial scrutiny — challenging financial model assumptions, stress-testing revenue cases, and ensuring the board is not making decisions on the basis of optimistic projections without adequate sensitivity analysis. Regulatory and policy navigation — bringing current, direct knowledge of the UK energy regulatory framework — Ofgem, DESNZ, NESO, the Capacity Market, REMA, grid connection reform — to the board's strategic discussions. Policy risk is a first-order risk for every UK energy asset in 2026. A NED who understands it in depth is not a luxury. Stakeholder and counterparty credibility — in an industry where reputation and relationships matter, the composition of the board signals to lenders, offtakers, and co-investors the seriousness and competence of the enterprise. Governance and accountability — ensuring the executive team is held to account for programme delivery, commercial commitments, and risk management in a structured and disciplined way. CM Energy Insight's NED engagements are selective. A board position is taken only where there is genuine value to be contributed — and where the time commitment can be sustained at the level the role demands. The result is a small number of active NED positions characterised by genuine engagement, not nominal governance. Who This Is For Interim and NED support from CM Energy Insight is typically sought by: Asset developers who have reached a critical development stage and need senior leadership resource that their in-house team cannot provide. Investment funds and family offices building or managing a portfolio of UK energy assets who need experienced board-level oversight and challenge. Corporate boards in the energy sector undergoing strategic transformation — entry into new markets, commodity strategy redesign, M&A integration, or response to regulatory change. Lenders and investors who need an independent technical or commercial expert to sit on the board of a project company in which they have a position. The engagement is always personal. Chris Moore leads every assignment directly — there is no sub-delegation to a junior team. That is the CM Energy Insight model, and it is not negotiable. If your project or business is at a point where senior leadership or independent oversight would make a material difference, let's have a direct conversation. Contact CM Energy Insight. Let's Start a Conversation Whether you need a sounding board on a live deal, an interim project lead, or a fresh perspective on market strategy — the first conversation is always free and always confidential. Phone: +44 7884 231 261 Email: chris@cmenergyinsight.com LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/cmenergyinsight Name* Email* Company* Message* Send Message

UK data centre solutions inc grid, embedded power generation, CCGT OCGT Gas engines, BESS, and SMR Getting power to a UK data centre is now the critical path. CM Energy Insight helps data centre developers, hyperscalers, and their investors navigate every layer of the UK power access problem Data Centre Power Contact CMEI What we advise on : Grid connection strategy and queue positioning — 132kV to 400kV, ICP/IDNO Demand connection queue reform: Ofgem TMO4+, priority connection strategy AI Growth Zone designation support / DSIT Connections Accelerator engagement Embedded generation development: Fuel Cells, CCGT, OCGT, gas engines, utility-scale BESS Behind-the-meter generation: private wire, Grid Code compliance, regulatory structure Self-build pathways (build-and-transfer / build-and-operate) under the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 Corporate PPA structuring and wholesale power procurement Why CM Energy Insight: Chris Moore holds an active GW scale 400kV TSO connection mandate for a UK data centre developer. He founded IPP developers that delivered utility-scale power plants and 400kV grid connections ahead of incumbent utilities, and has 40 years of execution experience across CCGT, OCGT, gas engines, 400kV TSO connections, and 500 MWe BESS. First conversation is always free Contact Chris Moore: Phone: +44 7884 231 261 Email: chris@cmenergyinsight.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismoore0908/ Name* Email* Company* Message* Send Message

Design, permitting, procurement and construction of UK transmission sytem connections for data centres and power generators Grid Queue Reform: What Gate 2 Means for Your Project With 800 GW in the connection queue and NESO's Gate 2 offers now landing, developers face harddecisions on timing, viability, and re-application. Grid Connections Contact CMEI Grid Connection Reform: What Gate 2 Means for Your Project The UK's connection queue hit 800 GW — four times what net zero requires. NESO's Gate 2 reform i s the most fundamental overhaul of the connections process in a generation. For developers, the window to act strategically is now. Where Gate 2 Stands - June 2026 The reform is live but running behind schedule. Here is what matters for projects in the pipeline: Protected projects (connecting 2026–27) — first offers issued to a small number of Scottish transmission projects in February 2026; the wider protected cohort is still waiting Phase 1 transmission offers (pre-2030 connections) — being issued between mid-May and mid-September 2026 Phase 1 distribution offers — expected from early July 2026, running approximately two months behind transmission Phase 2 offers (2030–35 connections) — transmission projects expected September 2026 to January 2027 Distribution projects were the biggest losers — Phase 1 capacity was almost entirely allocated to transmission-connected schemes, drawing sharp criticism from the solar sector The Strategic Reality Gate 2 will ultimately reduce delays — but it structurally favours larger developers with the engineering resources to meet tighter evidencing requirements. Smaller developers face genuine disadvantage unless they prepare early. The Broader Reform Picture Three parallel developments are reshaping the connections landscape: AI Growth Zone fast-track — a new two-tier connection process, formally consulted on in March 2026, effectively creates a priority lane for strategic demand Developer-built connections — large developers constructing their own high-voltage infrastructure and transferring it to the network owner, bypassing queue bottlenecks entirely RIIO-3 price controls — setting the investment framework within which connection works are funded through the early 2030s Game-Changing Innovation: Dynamic Line Rating April 2026 brought a significant development that could unlock capacity without waiting for new infrastructure. National Grid is rolling out Dynamic Line Rating (DLR) across an additional 585 km of north-to-south transmission routes under a new five-year contract. DLR uses real-time sensors and weather data to calculate actual line capacity — safely increasing circuit throughput by an average of 8% — rather than relying on fixed conservative assumptions built decades ago. Once complete, over 900 km of network will operate on DLR, saving up to £50 million in consumer constraint costs and meaningfully expanding the capacity available to developers in congested regions. This is not speculative: installation by 2028, with early circuits operational now. Talk to CM Energy Insight Navigating the new connections landscape requires strategic clarity on queue positioning, evidencing requirements, and timing. The first conversation is always free and always confidential. Let's Start a Conversation Whether you need a sounding board on a live deal, an interim project lead, or a fresh perspective on market strategy — the first conversation is always free and always confidential. Phone: +44 7884 231 261 Email: chris@cmenergyinsight.com LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/cmenergyinsight Name* Email* Company* Message* Send Message

Building and modelling robust and market facing financing structures Navigating family offices, private equity, banks, MLAs, and insurance to build robust capital structures. Infrastructure Finance Contact CMEI Renewable Energy Infrastructure Finance UK Capital is no longer free . The macroeconomic environment of mid-2026 has fundamentally changed how energy infrastructure is funded. For UK and European developers, securing project finance means navigating a landscape of repriced sovereign debt, geopolitical supply shocks, and the disruptive financial force of AI. The Sovereign Funding Squeeze The ongoing bond market repricing has severely constrained the ability of UK and European governments to underwrite the energy transition. With sovereign borrowing costs elevated and fiscal deficits stretched, governments cannot simply subsidize their way to net zero. The burden of financing the Clean Power 2030 target now falls squarely on private capital. Infrastructure funds, private equity, and commercial banks are deploying capital, but their risk appetite has sharpened. Projects must be structured to stand on robust, un-subsidised commercial merits with bulletproof route-to-market strategies. Geopolitics and the Pivot to Domestic Generation Energy security has overridden pure economics. Persistent volatility and transit risks through critical choke points like the Strait of Hormuz have exposed the fragility of global LNG and oil supply chains. In response, states are rapidly pivoting to local, domestic energy sourcing. Domestic renewables, BESS, and nuclear (SMR) are no longer just climate initiatives; they are national security imperatives. For infrastructure capital, this makes domestic generation a uniquely resilient, insulated asset class—provided the project fundamentals are sound. The AI Paradox: Massive Demand vs. Systemic Risk Artificial Intelligence is the defining variable of 2026 energy finance, operating as both a capital magnet and a market risk: The Demand Draw: The gigawatt-scale power requirements of AI datacentres are consuming vast pools of infrastructure capital. Power-to-data projects and hyperscale corporate PPAs are the most fiercely contested assets in the market. The New Financial Risk: Conversely, AI-driven algorithmic trading and automated risk modelling are introducing unpredictable volatility into financial markets. This algorithmic fragility—capable of triggering sudden bond sell-offs or rapid interest rate swings—complicates long-term hedging and requires much more defensive capital structuring. Structuring for a Volatile Market Navigating family offices, private equity, commercial banks, and multilateral agencies (MLAs) requires deep market fluency. CM Energy Insight builds robust capital structures designed to survive financial close, construction, and operation. We focus on: Debt sizing and equity raising in high-yield environments Risk allocation and hedging strategies to protect against market volatility Bankable PPA structuring for hyperscale and industrial offtakers Talk to CM Energy Insight Securing infrastructure finance in 2026 requires more than a spreadsheet; it requires a strategic read of macroeconomic risk. The first conversation is always free and always confidential. Let's Start a Conversation Whether you need a sounding board on a live deal, an interim project lead, or a fresh perspective on market strategy — the first conversation is always free and always confidential. Phone: +44 7884 231 261 Email: chris@cmenergyinsight.com LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/cmenergyinsight Name* Email* Company* Message* Send Message

Ongoing Manadates for Datacentre, embedded BTM generation, BESS, Grid Connections 2026 Projects This project portfolio thesis: energy transition is multidimensional. Capital deployed across vectors—storage, flexible generation, clean fuels, and nuclear—builds the most resilient position against systemic and geopolitical risk Data Centres - Fuel-Cells / CCGT / OCGT / Gas Engines and TSO Connections UK Entrant (Confidential) Management of Site Assessment, Lease, Grid Connection, Permitting, Equipment Procurement, and capital raise process SMR - Small Modular Reactors DP World Pre-FEED / Feasibility Study / LCOE and financial modelling for SMR project. Battery Energy Storage System - BESS InterGen Supporting a large industrial real estate owner operator to develop a 500MWe 2 hour BESS project. UK Gas Flexibility Peaking Business Wall St Investor Support to investment fund considering acquisition and growth of a gas peaker flexibility business with future international expansion. Green Hydrogen to Ammonia Steel Decarbonisation M&A Due Diligence and Ongoing Development for a 600MWe hydroelectric to ammonia project in West Africa. SAF Feedstock Development Jatropha to BioDiesel Overview of the process of designing and funding a large reforestation project to deliver inedible vegetable oils for subsequent hydrogenation together with voluntary carbon credits. Comparison with known "waste to liquids" processes including Velocys, Fulcrum and other Fischer-Tropsch (FT) pathways. Waste Plastics Chemical Recycling PhiGenesis CM Energy Insight has advised and supported: Phigenesis -plastics chemical recycling Sustainable Aviation Fuel €500m+ capital raise via Alexa Capital port-located facilities for biofuels & biomass feedstocks development of international feedstock supply solutions. EfW / RdF Trading In the 1990s Chris was part of the Cory PowerGen JV that developed the UK's largest EfW plant (now Riverside), and the Kemsley Waste Paper EfW plant (a large FBC). More recently CMEI has advised clients on the identification of greenfield development sites for EfW projects. Feedstock counterparties have included Geminor, Transwaste, N+P, Andusia and Renewi Gigafactory, EV Charging Infrastucture, and Storage Development CM Energy Insight supports market entrants during the rapid cross-geographic growth of their business: Regulatory framework at a Eu and UK level Site identification & acquisition Project development (permitting, regulatory approval, FEED study) Project procurement & project finance Teaming & project management / collaboration Fund Raising Investment in SRF Supply Chains Afforestation project investment consisting of Eucalyptus, Poplar, Southern Yellow Pine, and Leylandii for pension backed investment fund wanting long term returns and access to the voluntary carbon credit market.