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Electricity from renewable sources increased 30 per cent over 2013 to account for 14.9 per cent of total generation, according to the latest figures from DECC. The increase marks a rise of 3.6 percentage points on 2012, when renewables made up 11.3 per cent of total electricity generation.
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The amount of electricity generated from renewables in the UK skyrocketed last year with wind energy leading the portfolio of green power sources, according to the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
The DECC report said renewables including wind, solar and hydroelectric made up 14.9 percent of electricity generated in the UK during 2013. The rise in installed capacity was largely due to increases in wind, especially since 2009, as well as increases in solar PV and the conversion of coal plants to biomass.
Investment in green energy is accelerating with almost £8 billion poured into a range of renewable technologies in 2013, according to a statement from Kingston MP Edward Davey.
In 2013, Offshore wind output rose 52 percent to 11.4 TWh from the previous year, while onshore wind rose 40 percent on year to 17 TWh. Bioenergy also jumped 24 percent, reflecting a shift away from coal, and solar PV power generation rose 51 percent to 2TWh.
Hydro generation fell by 11 percent, largely due to lower average rainfall levels in 2013.
But despite these efforts to go green, the UK still relied most heavily on burning coal – one of the dirtiest form of power plants. More than a third of electricity came from coal-fired power plants, according to the statistics, while two-fifths of the coal imported to the UK came from Russia.
Gas-fired power stations generated 27 per cent of Britain’s electricity while nuclear reactors provided 20 per cent of the mix.
Despite the continuing popularity of solar farms, the biggest increase in green power came from more wind farms being built. Wind power produced a total 9 per cent of UK electricity, up from 6 per cent in 2012, the Government said.
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