Wind Becomes UK’s Main Source Of Electricity For First Time

In the first three months of this year a third of the country’s electricity came from wind farms, research from Imperial College London have shown.

National Grid has also confirmed that April saw a record period of solar energy generation.

By 2035 the UK aims for all of its electricity to have net zero emissions.

The majority of the UK’s wind power has come from offshore wind farms. Installing new onshore wind turbines has effectively been banned since 2015 in England.

Under current planning rules, companies can only apply to build onshore wind turbines on land specifically identified for development in the land-use plans drawn up by local councils.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak agreed in December to relax these planning restrictions to speed up development.

Solar and wind have seen significant growth in the UK. In the first quarter of 2023, 42% of the UK’s electricity came from renewable energy, with 33% coming from fossil fuels like gas and coal.

Some new solar and wind sites are waiting up to 10 to 15 years to be connected because of a lack of capacity in the electricity system.

And electricity only accounts for 18% of the UK’s total power needs. There are many demands for energy which electricity is not meeting, such as heating our homes, manufacturing and transport.

Currently the majority of UK homes use gas for their heating – the government is seeking to move households away from gas boilers and on to heat pumps which use electricity.