The output of British power stations fell this year to levels last seen almost a quarter of a century ago, while renewables achieved a record share of the UK electricity supply. Electricity generation in 2018 was the lowest since 1994, when Tony Blair became the leader of the Labour party. The reduced need for power 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 UK website Carbon Brief, which analysed government and industry data, found that 335 terawatt-hours were generated by power plants last year, down by about 1% on the year before. Since 2005 the level has fallen by 16% – or the equivalent of two and a half Hinkley Point C nuclear power stations.
Edie 3rd Jan 2019 read more »
“Generation in 2018 was some 63TWh (16 per cent) lower than in 2005, a reduction equivalent to 2.5 times the output of the new nuclear plant being built at Hinkley Point in Somerset,” the analysis said. “This is despite the UK population increasing by 10 per cent from 60 million to 66 million people.
Business Green 3rd Jan 2019 read more »
Britain is consuming less electricity even as its population grows, upending assumptions that expanding economies need to be coupled with rising power consumption. Electricity use has been declining since 2005 as factors like energy efficiency, environmental awareness and a shift of power-intensive industries overseas have combined to cut consumption, according to Carbon Brief, a website that analyzes U.K. climate and energy policies. Generation last year dropped to its lowest level in 24 years even as the U.K.’s production of goods and services grew.
Bloomberg 3rd Jan 2019 read more »