UK beats own renewable energy record for the second time this year
Renewables made up close to a third of electricity in the UK during the second quarter of 2017, breaking the country's previous record (Q1 2017) for the highest percentage of electricity generated from sustainable sources.
This is according to a recent government report.
Wind energy saw the most growth, with onshore wind rising by 50 percent (2.0 TWh) to 6.0 TWh and offshore wind up by 22 percent (0.7 TWh) to 4.0 TWh compared to figures from the same time last year. This is thanks to an increase in capacity and wind speeds.
Electricity generation from biodegradable waste has also grown dramatically. Over the past year, it's risen by 30 percent to provide the country with 0.8 TWh.
Hydro saw the least growth. After an exceptionally dry year, hydro-generated electricity dropped by 12.4 percentage points to 0.8 TWh.
While the share of electricity output met by renewables is at a record high, the total amount generated in Q2 (April to June) is lower than in Q1 (January to March). But this is to be expected as electricity usage tends to drop as temperatures rise.
