The amount of electricity generated by the UK’s gas and coal power plants fell by 20% last year. The UK’s gas power plants last year generated 31% of the UK’s electricity, or 98 terawatt hours (TWh). While the UK’s last remaining coal plant produced enough electricity to meet just 1% of the UK’s power demand or 4TWh.
Carbon Brief found that gas and coal power plants made up just over a third of the UK’s electricity supplies in 2023, while renewable energy provided the single largest source of power to the grid at a record 42%. Electricity from fossil fuels was two-thirds lower in 2023 compared with its peak in 2008, according to carbon brief. It found that coal has dropped by 97% and gas by 43% in the last 15 years.
Coals power is expected to fall further in 2024 after the planned shutdown of Britain’s last remaining coal plant in September. In recent weeks, offshore wind developers have given the green light to another four large windfarms in the UK waters.