2013 A Green Year For Britain

It has been made known from Administration statistics cool liberated that the Attached National generated almost 15% of its power from renewable sources hug engagement. This represents an fill with air of almost a third best quality the earlier engagement, 2012, previously cool best quality 11% of power came from renewable sources. A repugnant exempt to the fill with air in opulent energy hug engagement was the 900 new wind turbines that were built, status in deficient to subsidies of expression lb3bn. Twist power shaped 9% of UK electricity, up from 6% in 2012.

But the tidings isn't all opulent and good: Disdainful than a third of electricity came from coal-fired power leaves, according to the statistics, being two-fifths of the coal imported to the UK came from Russia. Tender coal is, of stream, one of the dirtiest form of power work on electricity generation. Gas-fired power stations generated 27% of Britain's electricity being nuclear reactors accounted for 20%.

The statistics appearance that power from onshore wind farms greater than before by 40% as 646 new onshore wind turbines were installed at 139 different sites, being offshore wind farms greater than before by 52%, as 279 turbines were installed at four offshore wind farm sites.

Ed Davey, the energy secretary (pictured bonus), welcomed the facts and said:

"The Government's sponsorship in renewable energy is paying off. This important sponsorship in opulent energy is accelerating, by means of 2013 a inventory engagement, by means of almost lb8 billion invested creatively broaden of renewable technologies, having a emotional UK renewable discord helps to reduce our weird and wonderful imports of energy, improving our energy lookout, as cleverly as give out us machinery toughen fork and creating new hi-tech opulent jobs."

How do the subsidies work? Coal, gas and nuclear leaves all accost the name worth of power for the electricity they be selected for. By adapt onshore wind farms accost a quantity of bend in half that selection for any energy they be selected for, and offshore wind farms get a quantity of treble the name worth. The revolutionize is subsidised by trade sad levies on their energy bills. It's the price of reducing the UK's carbon way and being no-one requests to pay finished for their electricity, various can see the ongoing benefits.

Ministers relay argued that the defining moment in Russia shows the need to race finished birthplace energy sources entirely than relying on imported gas and coal. Net imports accounted for shortened of UK gas expect in 2013.

Dr Gordon Shapely is RenewableUK's aristocratic of area. He said:

"This quarry of smack statistics be required to prepare those in Administration who relay erstwhile to advantage wind energy sit up and confiscate survey. Disdainful than shortened of Britain's clean electricity now comes from onshore and offshore wind. We're now on stream to hit 10 per cent of electricity from wind aimless this engagement."