Annual wind energy record confirmed – official figures in Government’s energy bible

The annual Digest of UK Energy Statistics, published by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, provides definitive figures for 2018 for the first time.

The document shows that wind provided a record 17.1% of the UK’s electricity last year - 9.1% from onshore wind and 8% from offshore. Overall, renewables generated a record 33%. Low carbon generation (renewables and nuclear) hit a record 52.6%. Nuclear fell to 19.5%, gas fell to 39.5% and coal dropped to a record annual low of 5.1%.

In 2017, wind provided 14.8% of the UK’s electricity (8.6% from onshore wind and 6.2% from offshore), and renewables overall generated 29.2%.

RenewableUK’s Deputy Chief Executive Emma Pinchbeck said “These record-breaking figures clearly show that investment in renewables and the Government's championing of offshore wind is delivering rapid change to our energy system.

“As well as helping keep prices down for consumers and boosting the competitiveness of our businesses, renewables are a huge economic opportunity, bringing employment and investment to all parts of the UK.

“But to achieve its net zero ambitions, the new Government needs to go further and faster -  and the first steps should be removing the barriers to onshore wind which is our cheapest source of power, and building on our successes in innovative technologies like tidal energy and floating wind where the UK can be a world leader”.