Increasing Renewables in the UK's* Electricity Production

*A word to the wise. When we say the UK's energy production, we typically mean Great Britain. Northern Ireland is connected to the All-Ireland Electricity Grid.

In a world where greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, it's nice to hear some good news - last year (2024), the UK's electricity was the cleanest ever. CO2 emissions per unit have fallen by more than two-thirds in the past 10 years. The UK phased out coal power completely in 2024, while renewable electricity generation capacity continues to grow at a record pace.

The UK's economy has been quite unique in recent years, in that it has continued to grow while electricity consumption has generally reduced. This is likely a result of several factors; appliances becoming more energy efficient and a movement of the economy away from heavy industry. This has certainly helped alleviate the dependency on fossil fuels.

In the UK, 2024 saw several energy production records:

• The lowest carbon intensity year, averaging 125g Co2/kWh.

• The highest yearly zero carbon generation, at 51%.

• A minimum carbon intensity record of 19g Co2/kWh on 15th April 2024.

• A maximum wind generation record of 22.523MW on 18th December 2024 (providing 68.3% of GB electricity).

One of the major issues I have with the energy mix is biomass - which generated 7% of GB electricity last year, and is generally considered to be a carbon neutral energy source. This is essentially the burning of wood chippings and leftover residue from forestry operations. Combustion of this is still releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Surely that means the energy providers have to re-plant trees in order to certify as carbon neutral? I had to do a little research on this, and it turns out that they are not mandated to plant trees - although they must demonstrate that the biomass they use is sourced sustainably, which includes maintaining the productivity of the forests from which they are harvested.

Hmm, sounds like some dodgy dealings could be going on here in order to get that carbon neutral certificate. If we're really serious as a nation about cutting greenhouse gas emissions, surely we need to avoid putting anything into the atmosphere at all? We need to stop burning stuff.

Biomass electricity generation is a false dawn - prone to corruption and abuse of the certification system - and we need to cut it out as soon as possible. We cannot claim, as a nation, to be carbon neutral, until this has been done.

From a CarbonBrief analysis, we find that emissions from the UK's electricity generation have fallen from 150 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2014 to less than 40 million tonnes in 2024, a reduction of 74%. Although if you include biomass generation, the real emissions were closer to 43 million tonnes. Either way, it's still an impressive reduction, and the UK is certainly a global leader in decarbonisation of the electricity grid.

This makes electrified transport far more beneficial in terms of reducing CO2 emissions. An average petrol car in the UK generates 2.7 tonnes of CO2 per year. In 2014, an EV would have generated 830kg of CO2 – but in 2024 this was just 245kg.

Based on the CO2 intensity of electricity in 2014, it would have taken 16,000 miles (2.2 years) for an EV to pay off the carbon debt associated with producing its battery, relative to a petrol car. However, because of the cleaner electricity generated in 2024, this payback is just 12,000 miles (1.6 years).

However, the UK government has a target for 'clean power' by 2030, which would mean carbon intensity falling to around 50g CO2/kWh - a very significant challenge. In order to achieve this, we can see how a reduction in demand from the consumer will reduce stress on the grid. This fits with the Consider The Climate ethos of simply consuming less in general - from consumer items and raw materials, to petrol, gas and electricity. Electricity demand is still forecast to grow substantially over the next few decades - but perhaps by opting to cycle more frequently and have fewer electricity-consuming appliances, we can ease the pressure a little.

GB's electricity demand will increase as our world becomes increasingly electrified over the next few decades. From: https://www.neso.energy/document/346651/download

The UK is certainly on the right track - and more countries will follow over the next few years. Electricity production is now only the fifth-largest source of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions - after transport, buildings, industry and agriculture.

Make sure your next car is electric, opt for a heat pump or electric boiler when you are next due for a replacement, and generally buy less shit and eat less meat. These are the lifestyle choice we advocate here on Consider the Climate - just hold out on buying that new car or boiler for as long as possible! Make what you currently have last for as long as possible and then go green.