Renewable Electricity Generation Overtakes Fossil Fuels in UK for First Time Ever in a Calendar Year

An energy sector think tank has reported that for the first time ever, the UK has used more renewable energy than fossil fuels across an entire calendar year.

Fossil fuels only produced 97 TWh of electricity, amounting to 35% of the UK’s total grid usage, a steep fall of 11% since 2021.

Wind, solar, and hydropower reached a record high in 2024, generating 37% of UK electricity (103 TWh) with wind power nearly overtaking natural gas, and in fact did so during the first three quarters of 2024.

UK wind power is currently forecast to generate 29% of UK electricity in 2024, totaling 82 TWh.

The numbers were published recently by Ember, which produces analysis on energy around the world.

“The renewables future is here,” said Ember ‍senior energy and climate analyst Frankie Mayo.

“This long-awaited milestone is a testament to how much progress the UK has made. It’s time to seize the moment, to cut reliance on expensive gas with new renewables, storage, and grid upgrades.”

“With the phase-out of coal power completed this year, reducing gas use is the next big opportunity for the country,” he concluded.

According to EDGAR, the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research, the UK was Europe’s third-largest emitter of CO2 emissions and equivalents (0.8% of the global total), behind Germany and Italy (Russia and Turkey excluded) but had experienced the most dramatic reduction (45%) when measured against national emissions in the year 2,000.

“Renewables producing more of the UK’s electricity than fossil fuels for the first time ever is a real landmark moment in Britain’s transition to being a clean energy superpower,” Greenpeace UK policy director Doug Parr said in a statement.