UK renewables had a record-breaking year taking a 19.2 per cent share of electricity generation in 2014.
Energy statistics, released by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, show that offshore wind also increased energy generation by 16 per cent, reaching 13.3 TWh, compared to the year before.
Offshore wind generation in Q4 also increased by 16 per cent on a year earlier, from 4.0 TWh to 4.6 TWh, mainly due to increase in capacity more than offset lower average wind speeds.
Overall, electricity generated in 2014 fell by 6.7 per cent, from 359.2 TWh a year earlier to 335.0 TWh, with a large fall in generation from coal.
RenewableUK Deputy Chief Executive Maf Smith welcomed the statistics by saying: “It’s wonderful to see renewable electricity reach another record of 22% of electricity generated (in Q4) and to see wind providing the lion’s share of that. Communities up and down the country benefit from wind power via the 34500 people employed in the sector, and local benefits and contracts, and these statistics show it’s doing its primary job of providing clean homegrown power and weaning us off fossil fuel imports.
Onshore and offshore wind is a UK success story, and as the General Election approaches, politicians should recognise its value, and support it fully”.