UK electricity cleanest ever in 2024

The UK’s electricity was the cleanest ever in 2024 as the impact of growth in renewables continues to transform the energy system, new analysis shows.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per unit of electricity generated have now fallen by more than two-thirds in a decade according to the figures from Carbon Brief.

Fossil fuels made up just 29% of the UK’s electricity in 2024 – the lowest level on record – while renewables reached a record-high 45% and nuclear stood at 13%.

Gas-fired power stations remained the UK’s single-largest source of electricity in 2024, generating some 88TWh (28%), just ahead of wind at 84TWh (26%).

However, increasing wind power capacity mean the technology is likely to generate more electricity than gas in 2025.