The amount of fossil fuels burned to power the UK’s electricity grid has fallen to a record low.
Just before midnight on Wednesday fossil fuels including coal and natural gas generated 1.7 gigawatts of electricity, just 6 per cent of the total used by the grid, according to power firm Drax Group.
Renewables – including wind, biomass and hydroelectric power – were responsible for 24.19 gigawatts, around 65 per cent of the UK’s electricity needs.
Just before midnight on Wednesday renewables – including wind, biomass and hydroelectric power – were responsible for 24.19 gigawatts, around 65% of the UK’s electricity needs
Of that, wind power generated over 15.6 gigawatts, or 55 per cent of the total. Nuclear power, meanwhile, provided 6.8 gigawatts, or 24 per cent.
The amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions produced by the UK energy grid in the week after Christmas Eve was 125g per kilowatt-hour, down from 156g last year.
The Climate Change Committee, which advises the Government, says this must drop to 50g by 2030 and to just 2g by 2050 for the UK to hit its net-zero target.
Renewable energy now supplies around 42 per cent of the UK’s electricity, compared to just 8 per cent ten years ago.
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