UK’s electricity was cleanest ever in 2024, analysis finds
1 week, 5 days ago

UK’s electricity was cleanest ever in 2024, analysis finds

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The UK’s electricity was the cleanest it has ever been in 2024, with fossil fuel power reaching record lows and renewables at record highs, analysis shows. In total, a record 58% of the UK’s power in 2024 came from clean energy sources, renewables and nuclear, the analysis shows, while net imports also reached new highs. While figures from the National Energy System Operator show wind generating more electricity than gas in 2024, those numbers exclude a significant amount of gas generation – for example from combined heat and power plants at industrial sites, Carbon Brief said. When all sources of gas-powered generation are taken into account, the fossil fuel is still the biggest single source of electricity, generating 28% of the UK’s power in 2024, compared to 26% from wind, Carbon Brief’s analysis found.

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History of this topic

Nearly half of the UK’s energy is already from renewables. So why are bills so high?
3 days, 14 hours ago

Nearly half of the UK’s energy is already from renewables. So why are bills so high?

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The biggest driver of high electricity prices, however, is the UK’s marginal pricing model, which …

US gas-fired power boom reveals key emissions payoff in 2024: Maguire
6 days, 19 hours ago

US gas-fired power boom reveals key emissions payoff in 2024: Maguire

Live Mint  

By Gavin Maguire LITTLETON, Colorado, Jan 8 - For the first time, over 1 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide was discharged from U.S. gas-fired power stations in a single year during 2024, marking a new pollution threshold for the world's largest gas producer and consumer. And as U.S. coal plants discharge 77% more CO2 per unit of electricity than …

Germany's wind power push blamed for SOARING energy bills - and Britain's 'obsession' could mean the same happens here, experts warn
3 weeks, 1 day ago

Germany's wind power push blamed for SOARING energy bills - and Britain's 'obsession' could mean the same happens here, experts warn

Daily Mail  

Germany's green power push has been blamed for its soaring energy bills - as the country's national grid struggles to cope with the demands of ever-expanding wind farms, experts have warned. Worryingly, as Labour plans to quadruple offshore wind power by 2030, experts warn that the UK's grid could face similar issues. Experts warn that Germany's wind power obsession could …

UK wind power hits a record high as it provides 70% of Britain’s electricity, promising data reveals
4 weeks ago

UK wind power hits a record high as it provides 70% of Britain’s electricity, promising data reveals

Daily Mail  

Tapping renewable energy sources like wind and solar will be key to limiting carbon emissions and avoiding a climate crisis. Britain's wind turbines have set a new maximum wind record, reaching 22,243 megawatts for the first time on Sunday evening – providing 54 per cent of the country's electricity supply. Dotted around the UK, wind turbines harness energy from the …

Renewable power set to overtake fossil fuels in the UK this year for the first time
1 month ago

Renewable power set to overtake fossil fuels in the UK this year for the first time

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Renewable electricity production will surpass …

Global carbon emissions from fossil fuels have reached a record high - with 37.4 BILLION tonnes of CO2 pumped into the atmosphere this year, study reveals
2 months ago

Global carbon emissions from fossil fuels have reached a record high - with 37.4 BILLION tonnes of CO2 pumped into the atmosphere this year, study reveals

Daily Mail  

Britain is making great strides eliminating the use of fossil fuels, including closing down our last ever coal-burning power plant. CO2 emissions from fossil fuels will reach 37.4 billion tonnes by the end of the year, the experts predict - up 0.8 per cent from 2023. The UK will have emitted around 0.3 billion tonnes of CO2 in 2024 by …

Britain tops energy efficiency rankings – as households turn off central heating
2 months ago

Britain tops energy efficiency rankings – as households turn off central heating

The Telegraph  

Britain’s recent drop in carbon emissions has been fuelled by factory closures and households switching off their central heating, a report from the International Energy Agency has said. According to the IEA’s latest figures, the UK was recently placed top of the global league table for improvements in energy efficiency. One key contributory factor, said the IEA, was that energy …

UK Can Meet 2030 Clean Power Target With Less Wind Than Promised
2 months, 1 week ago

UK Can Meet 2030 Clean Power Target With Less Wind Than Promised

Live Mint  

-- The UK has a narrow pathway to achieve the government’s goal of a clean power grid by 2030, and it may not need as much offshore wind as promised to get there. The operator designed two strategies for reaching this decade’s target, describing each as “challenging, but realistic and cost-effective.” One relies heavily on the expansion of renewable power, …

Clean energy to meet nearly half of world’s electricity demand by 2030
3 months ago

Clean energy to meet nearly half of world’s electricity demand by 2030

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Nearly half of the world’s …

As 142 years of coal comes to an end, how close is the UK to 100% clean energy?
3 months, 1 week ago

As 142 years of coal comes to an end, how close is the UK to 100% clean energy?

The Independent  

When Scottish inventor James Watt came up with a new steam engine design in 1765 that required 75 per cent less coal to operate than its predecessor, many people logically presumed that coal consumption would plummet. By 1882, the world’s first coal power plant opened in London to launch a new era of electricity generation that continues to see coal …

Finally, Britain has entered the ‘clean energy’ age
3 months, 1 week ago

Finally, Britain has entered the ‘clean energy’ age

The Independent  

On Monday, a 142-year chapter of British history closed as our last remaining coal-fired power station shut down for the last time. Today, in Merseyside and Teesside, we begin writing the next chapter in our energy story as we launch Britain’s carbon capture industry. That is why we are today committing funding for Britain’s first carbon capture projects in Merseyside …

Mapped: The greenest countries in Europe
3 months, 1 week ago

Mapped: The greenest countries in Europe

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Earlier this year, wind and solar power overtook fossil fuel-generated power for the first time in Europe, …

Last coal-fired power station in Britain closes down in landmark moment for clean energy
3 months, 1 week ago

Last coal-fired power station in Britain closes down in landmark moment for clean energy

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Since then, 15 coal power plants closed or switched fuels and last year the fossil fuel made up just …

Britain becomes first rich country to end coal power as last ever UK power station SHUTS for good
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Britain becomes first rich country to end coal power as last ever UK power station SHUTS for good

Daily Mail  

Britain's nearly 150-year reliance on coal power ended last night. The last remaining coal-fired power station, at Ratcliffe-on-Soar near Nottingham, switched off its generators for the last time at midnight The closing draws to a close 142 years of British reliance on the fossil fuel to generate electricity The symbolic moment makes the United Kingdom the first G7 country to …

UK: From pioneer of coal-fired electricity to harnessing the power of the wind
3 months, 2 weeks ago

UK: From pioneer of coal-fired electricity to harnessing the power of the wind

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. From the opening of the world’s first coal-fired power …

Britain's last coal-fired electricity plant is closing. It ends 142 years of coal power in the UK
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Britain's last coal-fired electricity plant is closing. It ends 142 years of coal power in the UK

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Britain’s last coal-fired power plant …

Britain’s last coal-fired electricity plant is closing, ending 142 years of coal power in the U.K.
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Britain’s last coal-fired electricity plant is closing, ending 142 years of coal power in the U.K.

LA Times  

The Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station is seen in Nottingham, England, on Sunday. Britain’s last coal-fired power plant is closing on Monday, ending 142 years of coal-generated electricity in the nation that sparked the Industrial Revolution. Plant manager Peter O’Grady said it was “an emotional day.” “When I started my career 36 years ago, none of us imaged a future without coal …

Fossil fuel use, emissions hit record highs in 2023, industry report says
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Fossil fuel use, emissions hit record highs in 2023, industry report says

Al Jazeera  

Renewables’ share of global energy consumption reaches nearly 15 percent, an all-time high. Global fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions hit record highs last year, even as renewables generated more energy than ever before, an industry report has found. Fossil fuel consumption rose 1.5 percent compared with 2022, while emissions increased 2.1 percent, the Statistical Review of World Energy …

Britain more reliant than ever on imported power to keep the lights on
7 months, 1 week ago

Britain more reliant than ever on imported power to keep the lights on

The Telegraph  

Britain will be more reliant than ever on imported power to keep the lights on this winter, the National Grid has disclosed. Other countries will supply most of the extra capacity needed to protect the UK from spells of cold and windless weather as the seasons turn according to a report from the company’s Electricity System Operator. The imminent closure …

Labour says GB Energy will fix cost-of-living crisis with clean power
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Labour says GB Energy will fix cost-of-living crisis with clean power

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Labour’s pledge to set up a publicly owned company to invest in domestic power …

The world just passed a major clean energy milestone
8 months, 1 week ago

The world just passed a major clean energy milestone

CNN  

CNN — The world has passed a clean energy milestone, as a boom in wind and solar meant a record-breaking 30% of the world’s electricity was produced by renewables last year, new data shows. The planet is reaching “a crucial turning point” toward clean energy, according to the Global Electricity Review published Wednesday by climate think tank Ember. It’s a …

More and faster: Electricity from clean sources reaches 30% of global total
8 months, 1 week ago

More and faster: Electricity from clean sources reaches 30% of global total

Associated Press  

Billions of people are using different kinds of energy each day and 2023 was a record-breaking year for renewable energy sources — ones that don’t emit planet-warming pollutants like carbon dioxide and methane — according to a report published Wednesday by Ember, a think tank based in London. China added more renewable energy than any other country last year — …

UK emissions fall to new low as high energy prices see households cut back
9 months, 2 weeks ago

UK emissions fall to new low as high energy prices see households cut back

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Britain’s greenhouse gas emissions fell …

UK risks wasting wind farms achievement without new links to grid, report warns
1 year, 5 months ago

UK risks wasting wind farms achievement without new links to grid, report warns

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Great Britain risks wasting a major achievement if it builds massive wind farms and nuclear …

UK renewables generated record amount of electricity in 2022, figures show
1 year, 5 months ago

UK renewables generated record amount of electricity in 2022, figures show

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy UK renewables generated a record …

Renewable energy record signals ‘end to the fossil age’
1 year, 9 months ago

Renewable energy record signals ‘end to the fossil age’

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Figures from UK-based energy think tank Ember, published on Wednesday, found that wind and solar supplied a …

Britain's greenhouse gas emissions FELL by 3.4% in 2022 thanks to a 15% reduction in coal use
1 year, 10 months ago

Britain's greenhouse gas emissions FELL by 3.4% in 2022 thanks to a 15% reduction in coal use

Daily Mail  

Last year, Britain produced 3.4 per cent less greenhouse gas emissions - the equivalent of 14 million tonnes of carbon dioxide - than in 2021. Pictured: Annual change in UK greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 to 2022 A new analysis has pinned this to a 15 per cent reduction in coal use, which offset any residual post-pandemic booms in road …

Wind power hits record as turbines deliver over a quarter of UK electricity in 2022
2 years ago

Wind power hits record as turbines deliver over a quarter of UK electricity in 2022

The Telegraph  

Wind supplied over a quarter of Britain’s electricity for the first time ever last year, highlighting the rapid growth of the energy source. Wind now accounts for a greater proportion of Britain’s electricity mix than nuclear, after two large nuclear plants shut down over the year. The figures highlight the huge change in the electricity mix over the last decade, …

UK sees record-breaking year for renewable energy
2 years ago

UK sees record-breaking year for renewable energy

The Independent  

The UK saw a record amount of its electricity generated from renewable energy sources in 2022, according to new figures. The lesson from 2022 is that we need to break our addiction to fossil fuels once and for all if we want to lower costs and better secure energy supplies.” Recommended Solar panel breakthrough could lead to cheaper renewable energy …

How the UK strangled its onshore wind energy industry at birth
2 years, 8 months ago

How the UK strangled its onshore wind energy industry at birth

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The destruction of the UK’s land-based wind energy industry by the Tory government exemplifies why …

DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Opportunity missed on vital energy reset
2 years, 9 months ago

DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Opportunity missed on vital energy reset

Daily Mail  

If nothing else, the Ukraine crisis has at least prompted a long overdue rethink about our energy strategy. Instead, we have a government which seems intent on burnishing its green credentials and pursuing a headlong dash toward net zero whatever the cost. Beacon of humanity The compassion shown by people in this country toward the victims of Russia’s aggression in …

How to stop your energy bills going through the roof
2 years, 11 months ago

How to stop your energy bills going through the roof

The Telegraph  

Wind farms, nuclear power plants, solar panels and hydrogen: billions of public and private cash around the world is being poured into sophisticated ways to produce more clean energy. Energy efficiency may capture the imagination less than advances in clean energy generation, but can play a key role in keeping bills down and cutting carbon emissions. Experts have predicted it …

UK electricity to be powered by clean energy sources from 2035, Boris Johnson says
3 years, 3 months ago

UK electricity to be powered by clean energy sources from 2035, Boris Johnson says

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Environmentalist group Greenpeace UK welcomed the new target, but said that the transition away from climate change fuels would …

50% cheaper to generate electricity from renewables compared with fossil fuel-powered plants, analysis finds
3 years, 5 months ago

50% cheaper to generate electricity from renewables compared with fossil fuel-powered plants, analysis finds

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Research by the energy think tank Ember said it is now around 50 per cent cheaper to create electricity …

UK sixth in world for wind and solar electricity generation
3 years, 6 months ago

UK sixth in world for wind and solar electricity generation

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Wind and solar power accounted for 29 percent of Britain’s electricity production last year, putting …

Why we are shining a light on UK support for fossil fuels
3 years, 8 months ago

Why we are shining a light on UK support for fossil fuels

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Green groups were left bitterly disappointed by the details of the government’s recent North Sea transition deal – an …

Climate crisis: UK ‘halfway to net zero’ due to dip in emissions caused by coronavirus pandemic, analysis reveals
3 years, 9 months ago

Climate crisis: UK ‘halfway to net zero’ due to dip in emissions caused by coronavirus pandemic, analysis reveals

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A dip in emissions due to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic means the UK …

Biomass power: Is the UK’s second-largest source of renewable energy sustainable?
3 years, 10 months ago

Biomass power: Is the UK’s second-largest source of renewable energy sustainable?

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The UK’s second-largest source of renewable electricity is the burning of “biomass” – a term for organic fuels such …

Renewables overtake fossil fuels for first time in UK as Europe transitions to green energy
3 years, 11 months ago

Renewables overtake fossil fuels for first time in UK as Europe transitions to green energy

The Independent  

The rapid rise of renewables continued in 2020 with wind, solar, bioenergy and hydropower overtaking fossil fuels to collectively become the UK’s largest source of electricity for the first time. Analysis from think tanks Ember and Agora Energiewende found that those four cleaner energies accounted for a record 42 per cent of the country’s electricity generation last year, while fossil …

Renewables overtake fossil fuels for first time in 2020
3 years, 11 months ago

Renewables overtake fossil fuels for first time in 2020

The Telegraph  

Renewables overtook fossil fuels as the main source of electricity in the UK for the first time in 2020, according to new analysis. A record 42 per cent of electricity was generated by renewables in 2020, compared to 41 per cent by fossil fuels, driven by a rise in wind power and a drop in demand because of Covid-19. In …

2020 was UK’s ‘greenest year on record’ for power generation as renewables surge and coal declines
4 years ago

2020 was UK’s ‘greenest year on record’ for power generation as renewables surge and coal declines

The Independent  

Last year was the UK’s “greenest year on record” for power generation with record levels of renewable power and the country seeing its longest period without coal contributing to the energy mix since the industrial revolution. Solar power also set new records for its highest ever level of generation and its highest share in the mix – “comfortably providing a …

Windfarms hit new record high for power generation in UK
4 years ago

Windfarms hit new record high for power generation in UK

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The UK’s windfarms have generated a new record for the amount of power they pumped …

UK cutting carbon from power grid ‘almost twice as fast as any other major economy’
4 years, 1 month ago

UK cutting carbon from power grid ‘almost twice as fast as any other major economy’

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The UK cut carbon from its power supply at almost twice the pace of any …

Climate crisis: Wind and solar produce record 10% of world’s electricity, but scientists warn faster change is needed
4 years, 5 months ago

Climate crisis: Wind and solar produce record 10% of world’s electricity, but scientists warn faster change is needed

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Over the first half of 2020, wind turbines and solar panels together produced a record 10 per cent of …

Climate crisis: UK electricity network emissions could turn negative by 2033, says National Grid
4 years, 5 months ago

Climate crisis: UK electricity network emissions could turn negative by 2033, says National Grid

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy “Immediate action” to promote cleaner, more efficient power will ensure the UK hits its 2050 …

Ditching coal for clean energy such as wind and solar 'will save money by 2022', report predicts
4 years, 6 months ago

Ditching coal for clean energy such as wind and solar 'will save money by 2022', report predicts

Daily Mail  

Coal power stations are polluting and expensive, and the falling cost of clean energy is pushing the dirty fossil fuel to the brink of extinction, a report has found. Analysis showed installing environmentally-friendly energy sources, such as wind and solar farms, is cheaper than the running costs of 39 per cent of global coal stations. Solar and wind produced 11.45 …

Climate crisis: Renewable energy overtakes fossil fuels for first three months of the year
4 years, 7 months ago

Climate crisis: Renewable energy overtakes fossil fuels for first three months of the year

The Independent  

Renewable energy generated more than 40 per cent of Britain’s power during the first three months of the year – contributing more to the energy mix than fossil fuels during this period for the first time, analysis has revealed. Record levels of wind power during the blustery conditions helped push down electricity generation from fossil fuels by 25 per cent …

Emissions from coal power see 'biggest fall' in decades, report finds
4 years, 10 months ago

Emissions from coal power see 'biggest fall' in decades, report finds

Daily Mail  

Emissions from coal power saw the 'biggest fall' in decades last year as electricity generation switched toward solar and wind, a report has found. The global study by climate think tank Ember found that electricity generation from coal fell 3 per cent in 2019 — leading to a 2 per cent reduction in carbon emissions. Scroll down for video Emissions …

Coal power to be phased out by 2024 as Boris Johnson says UK has duty to fight climate change as first industrialised nation
4 years, 11 months ago

Coal power to be phased out by 2024 as Boris Johnson says UK has duty to fight climate change as first industrialised nation

The Telegraph  

Coal power will be phased out by 2024, Boris Johnson confirmed on Tuesday as he declared that the UK had a duty as the first industrialised nation to lead the fight against climate change. After declaring a “year of climate action” alongside Sir David Attenborough, the Prime Minister has announced plans to bring forward the deadline for ending the country’s …

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