Wind Energy Generates Record Amount of UK Electricity

RenewableUK, the wind and marine energy association, is celebrating new figures from National Grid which show that a record-breaking amount of electricity was generated by wind this morning.

Wind turbines fed an all-time high of 4.131 gigawatts into the National Grid at 09.56am this morning – enough to power more than 3 million British homes. An average large power station can generate a gigawatt, so the record equates to the output of more than four conventional power stations.

Just before 10 o’clock this morning, wind power was supplying a total of 10.8% of the total amount of electricity going into the grid. As office workers switched on their computers this morning, more than one in ten of them was powered by wind energy.

Today’s high breaks the previous record of 3.8GW set on the 13th May.

The overall statistics for wind energy generation are even higher, because a third of all wind turbine capacity in the UK is connected directly to local electricity networks, and not to the Grid. Once that extra 2.2GW are taken into account, the amount of electricity being generated is even greater – up to a third more.

RenewableUK’s Chief Executive, Maria McCaffery, said:

“This record high shows that wind energy is providing a reliable, secure supply of clean electricity to an ever-greater number of British homes and businesses. As our wind energy capacity increases, the need to import expensive fossil fuels starts to diminish. The transition to a low-carbon economy is well underway and harnessing this bountiful, free resource will help us to drive down energy bills for all users in the long term. That’s why we’re celebrating this milestone in the generation of clean energy for the UK.”

[mappress]

Press release, September 14, 2012; Image: continental-lighting