RenewableUK, the trade association for the wind, wave and tidal industry, has hailed the publication of new Government figures as a clear demonstration of the significant role wind power now plays in Britain’s energy mix.
Wind power capacity increased by over a gigawatt in 2011, and output increased by over 5.3 terawatt-hours to 15.5TWh – equivalent to the annual demand of 4.7 million homes.
RenewableUK’s Chief Executive, Maria McCaffery , said:
“Wind power is working. 2011’s strong winds increased output by an enormous 54.5 %, increasing the share of the electricity we receive from Britain’s weather. In doing so, it helped cut the amount of fossil fuels we needed to buy to burn – helping to contain energy prices for UK households.
“While we can’t guarantee last year’s strong winds will be repeated, we’re already on course to install at least another gigawatt of wind capacity this year, ensuring that the share of electricity that we get from wind will continue to rise – while the carbon emissions from our electricity generation system go down.”
[mappress]
Offshore WIND staff, March 30, 2012; Image: renewableuk