Clean energy is blowing in nearly half our power
GREEN energy boosted by wind farms generated more than 40 per cent of Britain’s power in the first three months of the year – overtaking fossil fuels for the first time.
Wind generated 30.5 per cent of electricity, a fraction behind fossil fuels between January and March.
Severe winter storms in February made it the first month ever when more electricity was produced by wind farms than gas-fired power stations.And weekday power use fell 13 per cent in the lockdown, analysis by Imperial College London shows.
This has slashed carbon pollution, with emissions from British power production falling by more than a third year on year.
Even before the crisis, over the first quarter of the year the grid was cleaner than the same period in 2019.
Record levels of wind power in the stormy conditions helped push down electricity generation from fossil fuels 25 per cent compared with the same period last year.
More large offshore wind farms will come online this year.
Two coal-powered plants were retired at the end of March, but before that they burned all their remaining fuel, running continuously for 117 days and raising coal generation for the first time since 2012.
Britain is currently in a record coal-free run of more than 40 days.
Dr Iain Staffell, of Imperial College London, said: “Having flexibility within the power system at these critical moments is crucial to keeping Britain’s lights on.”