Wind Energy Becomes UK’s Largest Source of Electricity, Surpassing Gas
The UK continues to be at the forefront of Europe’s efforts for the transition to renewable energy with new data showing wind power has become the largest source of electricity surpassing natural gas and coal in the UK. The Labour Government of Sir Keir Stramer since coming to power last summer has committed to accelerating this transition.
The combination of onshore and offshore wind turbines is now accounting for approximately 29 percent of all the electric power in the UK calculates Bloomberg citing data from the National Energy System Operator (NESCO). While wind energy continues to grow reaching a capacity of 30.3 MW as of the end of August 2024, gas which had dominated the UK energy sector for a decade continues to decline.
NESCO’s data shows that gas now accounts for a quarter of the UK’s power supply down from 32 percent in 2023. It had been the largest source for power generation since 2013 when it surpassed coal. NESCO further forecasts that for the first time in 2025, there will be periods of time when the UK will use no gas in power generation. Gas, however, is expected to remain a backup power source in periods when wind declines. In the long term, the wind power sector is exploring batteries and power storage to also supplement generation capacity.
The ongoing transition away from natural gas, and government policy supporting the transition, prompted U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump last week to speak out against the UK’s energy policy. "The U.K. is making a very big mistake. Open up the North Sea,” wrote Trump calling for more oil and gas production He wrote, “Get rid of Windmills!"
Renewables reached overall are approximately half the UK electricity supply by 2023 and have continued slow near-term growth. Approximately 60 percent of the power from renewables comes from the wind energy sector with onshore and offshore turbines nearly equally divided as the source of power.
Ana Musat, Executive Director of Policy & Engagement for RenewableUK noted it took the UK 26 years to install the first 15 GW of wind energy. It doubled that to 30 GW in just seven years.
Prime Minister Starmer articulated an aggressive stance to continue to grow renewable energy in the UK after coming to power. The government policy calls for doubling onshore wind energy by 2030 and Labour pledged to quadruple offshore wind power production by the end of the decade.
Starmer addressed challenges in the industry creating new government efforts to support the development of renewable and specifically wind energy. He also increased the contract support for electric power purchases from wind farms.
The UK’s offshore wind sector has a capacity of approximately 14 GW, making it the largest in Europe and second only to China in total capacity. By 2028, it is forecasted to grow to 28.6 GW and accelerate growth in the following years. The UK has about 2,800 offshore wind turbines currently and Bloomberg reports it would have to add 3,500 wind turbines to reach a goal of 50 GW by 2030.