A new study has revealed that the United Kingdom powers most of its homes and businesses using renewable energy over the last quarter. This is the first time that renewable energy sources exceeded fossil fuels as the primary source of energy in the country.
The third quarter of this year made a record-breaking energy mix score of 40%. This is the first time that the production of energy from British wind farms, solar panels, and renewable biomass plants has surpassed fossil fuels since the U.K.’s first power plant fired up in 1882.
New wind farms, which made up 39% of U.K. electricity, in the country this year has helped the record-breaking number to be achieved as predicted by the National Grid that 2019 will be the first year since the Industrial Revolution that zero-carbon electricity will take over gas and carbon plants.
In as early as ten years ago, fossil fuels like gas and carbon make up almost four-fifths of the energy generated in the United Kingdom. However, a new report by Carbon Brief reveals that fossil fuels now only comprise at least 1% of the energy production in the country.
The report said that gas-fired power makes up the bulk of the dwindling share of fossil fuels in the energy system at 38%, while nuclear energy comprises a little less than a fifth of the generated energy in the U.K.
As more an more wind farms are opening the country, the results further revealed that wind energy had become the biggest contributor to the energy generation of the country at 20%. Electricity from renewable biomass plants made up 12% of the energy system, while solar panels contributed 6%.
Kwasi Kwarteng, the minister for energy and clean growth, said the renewables record is “yet another milestone on our path towards ending our contribution to climate change altogether by 2050”.
“Already, we’ve cut emissions by 40% while growing the economy by two thirds since 1990. Now, with more offshore wind projects on the way at record low prices, we plan to go even further and faster in the years to come,” he added.
