London (AFP) – Britain produced a record-high amount of electricity from renewable energy last year, a study revealed on Friday. Wind, solar and biomass power combined to supply 47 percent of the country’s electricity in 2025, climate and energy website Carbon Brief said in its report. This was greater than gas, which supplied 28 percent of UK electricity, while nuclear was in third with 11 percent of production.
The amount of gas used for electricity rose after the country shut its last coal-fired power station in late 2024, the study said, adding that nuclear power reached its lowest level in 50 years, in part owing to outages. “Overall, UK electricity became slightly more polluting in 2025,” concluded Carbon Brief, adding that the nation’s electricity exports grew and imports fell last year.
It added that the UK saw a one-percent rise in electricity demand “after years of decline,” as electric vehicles, heat pumps, and data centres connected to the grid in larger numbers. Britain is one of the leading players in renewable energy in Europe, owing to onshore and offshore wind power. The country has set a target to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 81 percent by 2035 compared to 1990 levels and is aiming to be carbon neutral by the middle of the century.
© 2024 AFP
