The share of electricity generated by renewables climbed to new highs of almost 30% between April and June, while coal power fell to record lows of just 2%, official figures show.
Low-carbon electricity – which includes renewables and nuclear – accounted for a record 53.4% of generation in the second quarter of 2017, the statistics from the Department for Business and Energy (Beis) reveal.
Coal continued its slide out of the energy mix, with its share dropping to 2.1% for the three months, down from 5.9% for the same period the year before.
In April, Britain experienced its first full day without generating any electricity from coal since the Industrial Revolution.
The rise in renewables’ share of power, up from 25.3% in 2016 to 29.8% this year, was down to more wind turbines and increased wind speeds, as well as lower overall electricity generation, according to the report.
Power generated from onshore and offshore wind both rose compared with the previous year, as did energy from biodegradable waste.
Gas generated 41.3% of the mix, slightly down on last year, and nuclear accounted for a slightly increased 23.6% in the second quarter of the year.
The latest data comes after National Grid revealed that this summer was the “greenest ever” for British power generation, as the share of low-carbon power in the mix rose to 52% for the period from June 21 to September 22.
Recent weeks have also seen the price of offshore wind tumble, falling by 50% compared with two and a half years ago. And Prime Minister Theresa May confirmed, during a trip to Canada, the Government’s ambition to phase out polluting coal power by 2025.
Lawrence Slade, chief executive of Energy UK, said: “These latest figures underline that renewable energy is now an integral part of our energy mix, supporting our view that future investment must support a variety of different technologies.
“As the recent offshore wind auction shows, the cost of renewables is falling as they play an increasing role in powering our homes and businesses, and we deliver low carbon economy at the lowest cost to consumers.”
Tom Greatrex, chief executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, said: “The recent energy trends data shows an increase in low carbon generation, with our dependence on fossil fuels diminishing.
“This is good news and shows clearly why a balanced mix of energy sources is good for decarbonisation as well as energy security.
“With two thirds of the UK’s currently available power due to retire by 2030, including all but one of the current nuclear fleet, the UK will need the full range of low carbon technologies to provide the reliable, secure and readily available power for homes, businesses and public services.”
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