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2017 a record year for renewable energy

Nathan Mann our consultant managing the role
Posted by Nathan Mann
Published on 29 March 2018

The latest statistics from the government reveal that 2017 was a record year for renewable energy in the UK.

The UK Energy Statistics report from the Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy shows that with a 29.4% share, renewables electricity generation was 98.9 TWh in 2017, a record high.

Renewable electricity capacity was 40.5 GW at the end of 2017, a 13.3% increase on 2016. The output from bioenergy and wind, solar, and hydro is now almost 10 times higher than coal.

With higher wind speeds and increased capacity, offshore wind generation rose by 27% , with and onshore increasing by 37%. Commenting on the report, RenewableUK revealed wind energy accounted for 15% of UK electricity in 2017, up from 11% in 2016.

Emma Pinchbeck, Executive Director, RenewableUK said:

“These official figures confirm that it’s been another record-breaking year for wind energy, which generated 15% of the UK’s electricity in 2017. The move to a smart, renewables-led energy system is well underway.”

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