ICP: Take Control of Your Connection

What is an ICP?

People often ask what an ICP actually is, and why it matters.

An Independent Connection Provider (ICP) helps design and deliver the parts of a grid connection that can be delivered competitively, working alongside the Distribution Network Operator (DNO) to get a site safely energised. In practical terms, it means you have a specialist team taking responsibility for the connection work that can be planned, designed, and built with the same focus you would expect for any critical part of a project: quality, safety, and delivery certainty.

Why does this matter? Because grid connections are rarely the bit you can “sort later”. They shape the entire programme. They affect how your sequence works on site. They influence cost and risk. And they often determine whether a project moves forward smoothly or gets slowed down by rework, late design changes, or unclear ownership.

One of the most important things to understand is that grid connections are not just an administrative step. They are a delivery challenge. The best outcomes come when the connection is treated as a first-principles piece of engineering from day one, not an afterthought.

At Gigawatt, that “do it right from the start” approach is how we think about ICP work. We focus on getting the early decisions right, building a plan that holds up in the real world, and staying disciplined on standards, safety, and communication as the project moves from design through to energisation.

If you’re new to the process, here’s the simplest way to think about it: the earlier you bring grid connections into the conversation, the fewer surprises you get later.

From Apprenticeship to Head of Connections

I served my electrician apprenticeship working across retail environments, and that’s where I learned something I still carry into every project: what looks like a small decision on paper can have a big impact on how something is actually built and delivered.

Coming from an on-site background, you understand quickly that a project is never “just the connection”. It is the build-up to that point. It is materials and lead times. It is access. It is sequencing. It is safe. And it is the reality that everyone involved has different priorities. If those priorities are not brought together early, the work becomes harder than it needs to be.

One of my early turning points came when I was involved in a first-of-its-kind EV charger rollout in a challenging retail setting. I loved the pace of it, and I loved problem-solving. It was new technology, real constraints, and a clear outcome to deliver. That experience made me want to move deeper into the emerging side of the industry, and it’s what pushed me towards grid connections.

Retail projects also taught me how important planning is when the site environment leaves you no room for improvisation. I’ve worked on jobs where contractors were effectively locked into a compound on a night shift, and everything needed for the work had to be inside before a fixed cut-off time. If you missed something, you could not just “nip out and grab it”. You either had it, or you did not, and the programme suffered. That level of constraint forces you to plan properly, because the cost of getting it wrong is immediate.

As I moved further into connections work, I realised just how many people sit behind a successful energisation. It is not as simple as digging a hole and connecting cables. Behind every connection sits coordination between parties, design, legal, and permissions, alongside street works and a clear understanding of the impact on other people connected to the same network. You also have to plan carefully to minimise disruption, and stay disciplined about doing the work safely and correctly.

That is why I’m so focused on doing things right from the start. The “quick win” approach nearly always creates a longer problem later.

I also know that being a woman in this part of the industry is still relatively rare. In many settings, you can be very much on your own, and you are often leading from the front. The industry is becoming more diverse, but it is a slow process, partly because it can take years of experience to build confidence and credibility in these roles.

What has helped is that site standards have improved. Practical things matter. Better welfare, better facilities, and a stronger focus on professional site culture make it easier for more people to see themselves in this work. There are also more events and communities now that support women in construction and engineering, and that visibility makes a difference.

If there’s one thing I’d say to anyone considering this industry, it’s this: you do not need experience in every area to get started. You need curiosity, you need resilience, and you need to want to learn.

How Gigawatt works as an ICP

When we say Gigawatt is an ICP, we are not just describing a label. We are describing how we approach delivery.

ICP work sits at the point where planning becomes reality. It is where technical decisions, safety standards, stakeholder requirements, and programme pressure all meet. The way we work is built around one principle: do it right from the start, because the fastest projects are usually the ones that avoid rework.

Here is what that looks like in practice.

1) We get involved early and ask the questions others avoid

The biggest risk in grid connections is building a programme around assumptions. We start by checking the fundamentals early, so the plan is based on what is achievable, not what is hoped for. That means being clear on constraints, dependencies, and what “done” really looks like all the way through to energisation.

2) We build a joined-up plan with clear ownership

Grid connections involve multiple parties and moving parts. If responsibilities are unclear, issues bounce between teams and time gets lost. We focus on building a simple, shared plan and keeping ownership clear, so everyone knows what is happening next, what decisions are needed, and when.

3) We design with delivery in mind

Good design is not just about passing checks. It is about making sure the work can be delivered safely and efficiently in the real world. We take a practical approach: design decisions should support safe installation, sensible sequencing on site, and smooth testing and commissioning later on.

4) We stay disciplined on standards, safety, and quality

Connections work is not the place for shortcuts. Our focus is on doing things properly the first time: keeping standards high, keeping safety central, and making sure quality is built in at every stage rather than inspected at the end.

5) We communicate clearly, because programme certainty depends on it

A lot of connection delays are not caused by technical complexity. They are caused by gaps in communication and late surprises. We prioritise clear updates, early escalation of risks, and practical options when a decision is needed, so projects keep moving without losing control of quality.

In short, being an ICP is not just about delivering a scope of work. It is about taking responsibility for the connection journey, reducing uncertainty, and giving clients a route to energisation that is planned properly and delivered with care.

I've found that projects really take off when we get the foundation right from the start. That is how we approach grid connections at Gigawatt: clear planning, high standards, and honest communication all the way through to energisation. If you’re working on a project and want a practical view of how to approach the connection, we’re always happy to talk.

Author perspective: Charlie Casey, Head of Grid Connections.