UK record: nearly 15% of electricity from renewables, more than half from wind power

Offshore wind power generation in the U.K. increased by 52% last year, and onshore wind energy generation was up 40% in the region, according to a new report from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).

Furthermore, the report says electricity generated from renewable sources increased by 30% in 2013 compared to the previous year, thus accounting for 14.9% of total U.K. electricity generation.

Citing the DECC statistics, advocacy group RenewableUK says onshore wind continued to be the leading technology for generating electricity from renewable sources, providing 32% of the total, while offshore wind generated a further 21% – making a total of 53% of all renewable energy from wind. RenewableUK says this means that 7.9% of the U.K.’s electricity was generated by onshore and offshore wind in 2013.

“This abundance of excellent statistics should make those in government who have failed to support wind energy sit up and take notice,” says Gordon Edge, RenewableUK’s director of policy. “More than half of Britain’s clean electricity now comes from onshore and offshore wind. We’re now on course to hit 10 percent of electricity from wind alone this year.”