U.K. Fossil Power Falls to Lowest Level Since 1957
U.K. Fossil Power Falls to Lowest Level Since 1957 - Yale E360
The Ardrossan Wind Farm in North Ayrshire, Scotland. Vincent van Zeijst via Wikipedia
The U.K. is drawing less power from natural gas and coal than it has at any point in the last 66 years.
Last year, fossil fuels supplied 33 percent of British electricity, while renewables provided 43 percent, according to an analysis from CarbonBrief. Nuclear power and imported electricity accounted for most of the remaining supply.
Since fossil power peaked in Britain in 2008, the amount of electricity provided by natural gas has fallen nearly in half, while coal power has dropped by 97 percent. There now remains just one coal-fired power plant in Britain.
The decline of fossil power has been brought about by the rapid growth of wind and solar, in addition to waning electricity demand. Since 2008, renewable electricity has grown sixfold, while power demand has shrunk by 21 percent owing largely to a decline in manufacturing and consumers adopting more efficient appliances.
CarbonBrief
Last year low-carbon power, including both renewables and nuclear power, supplied 56 percent of British electricity. The government is aiming to reach 95 percent low-carbon power by the end of this decade.
Contrary to this goal, Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has recently set about weakening British climate policy, including lowering home insulation standards and undermining the development of renewable energy. In a recent auction of offshore wind rights in the North Sea, his government offered terms that would render any potential project unprofitable. The auction saw zero bidders.
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Related Knowledge Center: Climate economics
Climate change is now a driver of the world’s economy. The impact is profound:
- Catastrophic weather events — hurricanes, floods, droughts, high temperatures — are more frequent and more extreme. The cost can be measured in both the initial damage caused and the longer-term impact on the economy.
- Vulnerable communities are increasing climate-related investments, hardening infrastructure and taking other protective measures.
- Investment in carbon capture and storage technologies is increasingly rapidly.
- Governments are making investments and crafting regulations to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
On top of all of this is the cost of uncertainty. As the Fourth National Climate Assessment, released in 2018 by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, says, “The assumption that current and future climate conditions will resemble the recent past is no longer valid.”