Record renewable power generation reported amid falling coal

Government data, released last week in the quarterly publication “Energy Trends,” reveals that renewable electricity’s share of generation has reached a record 29.8% of the mix in Q2 2017, while output from coal fell 50% to a record low of 2.1%.

However, analysis from the Renewable Energy Association of solar PV deployment data also reveals the startling trend that while solar PV deployment grew by over 50% between January and September 2015, growth declined to 18% between the same months in 2016 and in 2017 deployment between the same months has only grown by 6%. The REA believes that this is due to Government policy restricting the routes to market for this technology which separate government data reveals to be the cheapest source of new electricity generation capacity.

Commenting on the review, James Court, Head of Policy and External Affairs at the Renewable Energy Association said: “This is another milestone in the journey towards a more affordable, flexible, and consumer-focused energy system. This success has been facilitated by the rapid fall in cost for renewable technologies such as solar and wind, which are now the most cost effective means of new power generation. The Government must address the policy barriers which have unnecessarily impeded their deployment over the last year and give the industry clarity around how the market will be structured in the 2020’s. We must now also replicate this progress within the heat and transport sectors. This means deploying renewable technologies which are able utilise resources such as waste, bioenergy and low carbon power, coupled with smarter and more efficient housing. There is no single silver bullet.”