Renewables soar as wind surpasses gas and coal for historic milestone
The Shift is Here: Wind Power’s Historic Moment
Britain’s energy landscape has shifted dramatically. For the first time ever, wind power whipped past fossil fuels as the nation’s top electricity source for two quarters running. That’s huge news, and it comes from the respected energy think tank, Ember.
During the first three months of 2024, wind turbines churned out an impressive 25.3 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity. That’s more than the 23.6 TWh fossil fuels managed. Wind power alone accounted for a whopping 39.4% of the UK’s electricity mix, overshadowing fossil fuels at 36.2%.
Winds of Change: Building on Momentum
Of course, wind speeds tend to drop a bit in summer, which could dip the numbers. But that doesn’t change the groundbreaking trend. In September last year, a report from energy giant Drax showed that the UK has officially installed more wind power capacity than any other energy type. This shift ends over a century of fossil fuel domination.
Wind farms nationwide reached a total of 27.9 gigawatts (GW) of capacity as of June 2023, finally pulling ahead of gas-powered stations (27.7 GW). This is massive progress according to experts at Imperial College London and the University of Sussex.
Government Data Confirms the Trend
Government data from last month backs up this clean energy revolution. In 2023, renewable sources like wind matched previous records, and their share of overall electricity generation hit a new peak of 47.3%. Wind alone set a record share of 28.7%, a huge jump from just 2.7% in 2010. Fossil fuel use, on the other hand, is at its lowest ever.
The numbers speak for themselves: low-carbon power, a mix of renewables and nuclear, accounted for 61.5% of UK energy in 2023. That’s a record!
