Wind Turbines generate more electricity than gas for the first time in the UK
At the beginning of this year, Imperial College of London reported that one third of the country’s electricity was generated from wind farms. In the first quarter of 2023, 42% of the UK's electricity came from renewable energy, with 33% coming from fossil fuels like gas and coal. National Grid also confirmed that April saw a record period of solar energy generation.
Over the last years, renewable energy sources including Solar and wind, have seen significant growth in the UK. Previously, most of the country’s wind power has come from offshore wind farms with the installation of new onshore wind turbines effectively banned in the UK since 2015. However, In December of last year, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak agreed to relax planning restrictions of onshore wind farms to speed development.
In research recently conducted by the BBC, it was revealed that billions of pounds' worth of green energy projects are stuck on hold, sometimes waiting up to 10-15 years due to delays with getting connections to the grid. Ultimately, electricity only accounts for 18% of the UK's total power needs. There are many demands for energy which electricity is not meeting, such as heating our homes.
With most UK homes using gas for their heating, the government must seek to move households away from gas boilers towards installing heat pumps that use electricity.
