What Does It Actually Do?
REACT (Rapid Evaluation Areal Connection Tool) is a digital spatial intelligence platform designed to help UK energy developers navigate one of the most complex and uncertain challenges in the energy transition: grid connections.
As the UK electricity system undergoes major reform, developers are facing unprecedented pressure. More than 700 GW of generation and storage projects are currently competing for an estimated 75 GW of available network capacity, with long queues, shifting rules, and limited transparency creating significant planning and investment risk. Against this backdrop, early-stage clarity is no longer a “nice to have” — it is essential.
REACT brings system-wide connection intelligence into a single, intuitive platform, enabling developers to make smarter site selection decisions, carry out faster feasibility assessments, and plan confidently within the evolving CP30 and UK Connection Reform framework.
Designed for a Reforming Grid
REACT has been purpose-built to reflect the realities of today’s GB connections landscape. Rather than focusing solely on individual assets or connection points, the platform provides a system-wide spatial view, allowing developers to understand how their projects interact with wider network constraints, competition, and sequencing.
At its core, REACT supports early-stage decision-making, long before formal connection applications are submitted. By revealing where projects are more — or less — likely to succeed, it helps reduce wasted development effort and strengthens the evidence base for internal investment decisions.
Key challenges addressed by REACT include:
- Limited visibility of cumulative capacity and congestion
- Uncertainty driven by connection reform and queue management
- Difficulty comparing alternative connection strategies
- High risk of late-stage project failure
What REACT Delivers
REACT combines technical depth with developer-friendly usability, delivering insight where it matters most:
Early Spatial Insight
REACT highlights areas with stronger potential connection viability at an early stage, helping developers focus resources on the most promising opportunities.
Constraint and Competition Visibility
Developers can instantly see cumulative capacity, network congestion, and competing projects — enabling a realistic assessment of connection risk.
Reform-Ready Decision Support
Built with CP30 and Connection Reform in mind, REACT supports reform-aligned thinking rather than retrospective analysis.
Scenario Planning and Option Testing
REACT enables powerful scenario analysis, allowing users to test assumptions, compare connection options, and understand how changes in demand, generation mix, or project sequencing could impact viability.
The result is reduced uncertainty, smarter site selection, and more robust, evidence-backed decisions at the earliest stages of development.
A Platform Built on Trusted, System-Wide Data
REACT’s insights are underpinned by a robust data engine that aggregates and validates information from across the UK energy system. This includes:
- NESO system information and TEC registers
- DESNZ datasets
- Transmission and Distribution Network Operator data
- Embedded capacity registers
- Local planning authority information
- Other relevant open-source datasets
All data is subject to aggregation, quality checks, and cross-validation, providing unified, GB-wide visibility of both live and planned connections within real-world planning and environmental contexts .
From Regional Innovation to GB-Wide Coverage
REACT was originally co-developed by Olsights and MapStand in collaboration with SSEN Transmission, focusing on the North of Scotland. Funded through the Ofgem Strategic Innovation Fund and shaped by input from National Grid and SGN, the platform has been refined through real-world use with network operators and developers.
Following its success, REACT has now been expanded to full GB-wide coverage, making its spatial intelligence available to developers across the UK.
Opening REACT to New Development Partners
Olsights is now opening REACT to new development partners, inviting organisations to help shape the next phase of the platform’s evolution.
Development partners gain early access to REACT’s capabilities, the opportunity to influence future features, and a chance to collaborate on tools that directly address the challenges of delivering projects under Connection Reform.
Enabling Better Decisions for the Energy Transition
REACT is not just a mapping tool — it is a strategic decision-support platform designed to help developers move faster, prioritise with confidence, and reduce planning risk in an increasingly constrained system.
By bringing clarity to complexity, REACT supports more efficient project development and, ultimately, the faster delivery of the clean energy infrastructure the UK needs.
To learn more about REACT and how to get involved, explore the slides below or contact the Olsights team.
