TO BE PUBLISHED July 2026
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This conference will consider next steps for the Contracts for Difference scheme in the UK. Following Allocation Rounds 7 and 7a across offshore and onshore wind, solar, and tidal, attendees will assess priorities for future allocation rounds.
It will be an opportunity for stakeholders and policymakers to assess the outcomes of consultations on proposed refinements for Allocation Round 8 and future rounds, with government responses expected soon. Discussion will focus on approaches to auction design, eligibility, budget setting, and the role of supply chain incentives such as the Clean Industry Bonus in supporting clean energy investment and delivery. We also expect wider discussion on what is needed if government targets for Clean Power 2030 are to be achieved.
Auction design, eligibility criteria & project pipelines
Sessions will examine how recent changes to auction design and eligibility criteria can be taken forward in ways that support a credible and investable project pipeline, effective competition, innovation, and timely delivery. We expect discussion on concerns raised by some stakeholders around the inclusion of repowered onshore wind, including risks of over-subsidisation and implications for auction competition, participation, and value for money. Potential benefits of asset renewal relating to costs, deployment speed, and pressure on network capacity will also be considered.
The relaxation of eligibility criteria for fixed-bottom offshore wind will also be discussed, amid concerns that a lack of full planning consent could increase delivery risk, supply chain uncertainty, and consumer costs, while disadvantaging projects further advanced in the planning process. Delegates will assess whether further refinements to CfD auction design and approaches to managing non-delivery risk may be required, alongside implications for planning scrutiny, investor confidence, and supply chain capacity.
Further discussion will examine proposals to extend contracts from 15 to 20 years, including implications for strike prices, cost of capital, consumer exposure, and market flexibility over a contract’s lifecycle.
Budgets & regulation
Further sessions will look at implications for budget-setting of enhanced visibility of sealed bid information, including the possibility to exceed initial budgets where value for money for consumers can be demonstrated, as well as the potential to underspend.
Discussion will examine how this approach may influence confidence in auction processes and bidder behaviour, alongside implications for regulatory oversight and transparency. Delegates will also consider what boundaries may be appropriate for greater flexibility in CfD allocation budgets, including how transparency can be balanced with protection of commercially sensitive information.
Supply chains, skills & industrial strategy
The agenda also examines the preparedness of the renewable industry for delivering contracted projects, looking at barriers around supply chains, skills gaps, planning and consenting processes, and network constraints. Attendees will consider the interaction of the expanded Clean Industry Bonus with initiatives from Great British Energy and the National Wealth Fund aimed at supporting domestic and sustainable supply chains in wind.
CIB refinements for AR8 will also be discussed, including options for achieving greater clarity, assurance, and confidence in delivery of supply chain commitments, amid concerns around ambiguity in definitions, difficulties in verification, and potential administrative and compliance burdens.
Alignment of the CIB with wider industrial policy objectives will also be examined, including priorities for supporting skilled job creation in clean energy sectors. Discussion will look at the introduction of the Fair Work Charter and the potential use of CIB eligibility as an enforcement mechanism, alongside the role of the skills investment fund expected to be introduced in 2027, and opportunities for industrial development and growth in deprived areas.
Electricity market reform & system planning
Delegates will assess how CfD reform will sit alongside related energy market developments - including the forthcoming Reformed National Pricing Delivery Programme - looking at implications of network charging reform and the introduction of spatial plans for investment decisions and siting, with concerns around regional fairness.
Discussion will also examine implications of grid connection reform and network capacity, alongside alignment with planning and consenting frameworks, for addressing grid bottlenecks and risks to delivery timelines.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include officials from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Department for the Economy, NI; Ministry of Defence; Great British Energy; Office for Environmental Protection; National Audit Office; Marine Management Organisation; National Wealth Fund; Office for Investment; Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, ROI; and The Scottish Government.
