The East Riding of Yorkshire is England’s top area for producing wind power, a new analysis has found, with Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire not far behind. The national hotspot for solar generation is sunny Cornwall, perhaps unsurprisingly. But though Cornwall is also one of the windiest counties, it fails to make the top 10 for wind electricity generation.
Guardian 1st April 2016 read more »
New statistics released by the Department of Energy and Climate Change yesterday revealed significant increases in the installation of new renewable electricity capacity, over a period where overall electricity generation fell. UK renewable electricity in 2015 made up 24.7% of the overall electricity generated in the UK ( 57.7% in Scotland) a record-breaking achievement and up 28.8% from 2014 when renewables generated 19.1% of the country’s electricity. An area of strong growth was in solar PV, where total electricity generation reached 7.6 TWh, an increase of 86% from 2014. The government understands that it needs to reach a target of 30% renewable electricity by 2020 to meet its legally binding 2020 targets. Given present growth rates it appears likely that this will take place. However, analysis by the Renewable Energy Association reveals that this may not be enough. The legally binding 2020 renewable energy targets include both heat and transport, two sectors where the government is set to miss their decarbonisation targets. As such, to meet the overall binding target the electricity sector will have to go even further, hitting 44% to 45% sourced from renewables by 2020.
Scottish Energy News 1st April 2016 read more »
Holyrood 31st March 2016 read more »
Times 1st April 2016 read more »
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Energy Voice 31st March 2016 read more »
Renewables met 57% of Scottish electricity demand in 2015.
Daily Record 31st March 2016 read more »
UK generates 25% of electricity from renewable energy, but Scots race ahead to reach 57.7%. Revealing these milestones in a raft of energy statistics published today, a spokesman for DECC said: “Our plan is working: we’re delivering affordable, secure and low carbon energy for hard-working families and businesses. “Last year energy bills were down by £46 and we got a quarter of our electricity from renewable sources. “For consumers, average annual household energy bills decreased by £46 in 2015 (down 3.5% to £1,298). Average electricity bills fell by £8. Average gas bills were down by £38.” The number of households switching providers rose by 11% for electricity and 19% for gas between 2014 and 2015.
Scottish Energy News 1st April 2016 read more »
UK CO2 emissions fell to their lowest level since the 1920s last year as renewables generated more electricity than coal for the first time ever, provisional statistics from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) show. The figures, showing a 4.1% reduction in CO2 emissions between 2014 and 2015, confirm Carbon Brief analysis published last month, which estimated a 4.3% fall. DECC also reports a 3.3% reduction in UK greenhouse gas emissions in 2015.
Carbon Brief 31st March 2016 read more »