The UK generated more power from renewable sources than from fossil
fuels in the third quarter of 2019. This is the first time that's
happened since the UK opened its first public electricity-generating
station in 1882. The findings, revealed in an analysis by Carbon Brief, speak to progress the country has made in transforming its electricity system over the past decade.
According to the analysis, from July through September, renewables
generated 29.5 terawatt hours (TWh) while fossil fuels generated 29.1
TWh. As Gizmodo
points out, a 0.4 TWh may sound small but it represents the electricity
used by hundreds of thousands of customers. For context, in the third
quarter of 2009, the UK generated twice as much electricity from fossil
fuels (60.4 TWh) and only 5.7 TWh from renewables.
Of the energy produced last quarter, 20 percent came from wind, 12 percent from biomass (which isn't a perfect source) and six percent from solar. Wind power got a boost from farms like the Hornsea One, East Anglia One and Walney Extension. In the first half of 2019, Scotland generated enough wind energy to power its homes twice, and it's working to build a massive battery
to store some of its excess wind power. While solar is understandably
less productive in the UK, the country is still looking for ways to put
it to use for things like a solar-powered rail line.
The
analysis doesn't touch on the fact that most of the UK's carbon
emissions come from its transportation sector. The country has pledged
to make improvements there, too. It previously committed to banning the
sale of fossil fuel cars
by 2040. While the findings from the analysis represent an important
milestone and an encouraging trend, there's still plenty of work to do
in the UK and beyond.
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