The Guardian newspaper reported January 3 that, thanks in part to improved energy efficiency, as well as a changed economy, the output of conventional British power stations fell in 2018 to levels last seen almost a quarter of a century ago, while renewables achieved a record share of the UK electricity supply.
The reduced need for power – a reduction of 1% in total electricity generation – came despite there being 8 million more people living in the UK. Analysts said the figures were a sign of increasingly efficient use of energy and the country’s changing economy, the Guardian reported. Generation declined almost every year between 2008 and 2014, held steady from 2015 to 2017, and started down again in 2018.
Meanwhile, an analysis by Carbon Brief found that renewable sources including biomass, hydro, solar and wind power supplied a record 33% of electricity this year, up from 29% last year.