UK renewable power generation output increased in 2017, driven largely by more wind power capacity and higher wind speeds.
That led to renewables topping 29% of the generation mix, up from 24.5% in 2017, according to latest government data. Renewable generation capacity now tops 40GW.
The UK’s high carbon price continues to drive coal off the system. Coal generation across the year stood at 6.7% of the total, down from 9% in 2016. Gas generation dipped to 40.4% of the mix, nuclear output also fell marginally to 20.8%.
Overall, final consumption of electricity dropped 1% to 300.7TWh, the lowest level since 1995.
Final energy consumption was also lower by 0.7%, though DUKES data suggests this was due to warmer weather, and that on a temperature corrected basis, final consumption increased by 0.9%.
Energy consumption in the industrial sector increased 1.6%. Transport increased 0.9%.
Energy consumption in the domestic sector fell 3.7% due to warmer weather.
In the service sector, energy consumption in the private commercial sector fell by 1.0% between 2016 and 2017, in the public sector it fell by 1.7%. Consumption in the agricultural sector increased by 3.4%.
See the data here.
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