A new record has been set in the UK, with clean energy providing 70 per cent of the country’s electricity demand on Wednesday afternoon, and each of wind, solar and nuclear power generating more coal and gas combined.
The National Grid said the landmark was achieved for the first time at 1pm local time on Wednesday, and follows the first occasion of negative prices being reached a day earlier.
According to the National Grid, at 1pm, wind supplied 9.5 gigawatts, nuclear provided 8.2GW and solar 7.3GW. Gas provided 7.2GW and there was no coal power at the time. The graph above, from Aurora Energy Research shows a slightly different time and total.
The combination of renewables alone reached a new record of 18.7 gigawatts at the same time, equivalent to 50.7 per cent of demand, the National Grid said.
