Renewables Power Over Half of UK Electricity for the First Time in 2024
In 2024, something quietly historic happened in the UK: for the first time ever, renewable energy sources generated more electricity than fossil fuels over an entire year.
Figure: UK Electricity Generation by Source in 2024.
Renewables (wind, solar, bioenergy, and hydro) made up 50.4% of total electricity, while fossil fuels (gas and coal) accounted for 31.3%, and nuclear contributed 14.3%.
According to figures from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), clean energy technologies such as wind, solar, bio-energy and hydro combined to produce 50.4% of the UK’s electricity. It’s a number that marks more than a milestone, it signals a shift in the DNA of our energy system.
But while headlines celebrate this "tipping point," the reality is more nuanced. Beneath the statistics lies a complex picture of technological progress, policy lag, and future challenges. Let’s unpack what’s really going on, and what this means for households, investors, and the planet.
From Coal to Clean: A Decade of Change
To appreciate how dramatic this transition is, we need to rewind just ten years. In 2014, fossil fuels still dominated the UK's grid, with coal alone providing nearly 30% of our power. Fast forward to 2024, and coal's share has collapsed to just 0.9%, hastened by the closure of the UK’s last coal-fired power station, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, in September.
Meanwhile, gas generation fell to 30.4%, its lowest share since 2015. That’s not insignificant, natural gas is still the single largest source of electricity, but its dominance is fading.
What replaced it? Wind power now accounts for 29.2% of UK electricity, more than all fossil fuels except gas. When combined with solar (5%), bioenergy (14.1%), and hydro-power (2%), renewables are no longer “alternative” energy, they are the energy.
Source: The Scottish Farmer, RenewableUK, Solar Power Portal
Wind is Winning — But Not Without Help
Wind energy is the clear driver behind this shift. Offshore wind in particular has boomed thanks to long-term policy support, major infrastructure investments, and ideal geographical conditions in the North Sea. In 2024, wind alone contributed 83.3 terawatt-hours (TWh) to the grid, over half of all renewable electricity generated.
But it's not just technology that’s responsible for this success, it’s policy. Support schemes like Contracts for Difference (CfDs) have made wind a competitive and stable part of the market. Without these incentives, the economics of large-scale wind farms would be far more volatile.
At the same time, this model is under pressure. Rising inflation, supply chain bottlenecks, and delayed auction rounds have created uncertainty. The question now is whether the UK government will double down,or hesitate.
Solar and Bioenergy: Quiet Workhorses
While wind gets the glory, solar and bioenergy have been quietly delivering. Solar produced 5% of the UK’s electricity in 2024, maintaining a record set in 2023. Growth is being driven not just by solar farms, but also by a surge in rooftop installations, spurred by high energy prices and growing public awareness.
Bioenergy, meanwhile, remains controversial but effective. Accounting for 14.1% of generation, it includes everything from biomass combustion (like Drax Power Station) to anaerobic digestion and landfill gas. Critics argue that not all bioenergy is truly green, especially when it involves imported wood pellets. But its role in grid stability—especially as a dispatchable, low-carbon source—is hard to ignore.
Hydropower, though minor at 2%, saw a slight rise thanks to favourable rainfall patterns and turbine upgrades.
Why Are Bills Still High if Renewables Are So Cheap?
This is perhaps the most frustrating part of the story: despite record clean energy, UK electricity bills remain stubbornly high. Why? Because the UK uses a marginal pricing system, where the most expensive source of electricity—usually gas—sets the price for the whole market.
This means even if renewables are generating over 50% of the power, consumers still pay gas-inflated rates. The result? A system that’s clean on paper, but costly in practice.
There are solutions on the table. One of the most promising is a mechanism called “Pot Zero”, which would allow existing renewable generators to opt into fixed-price contracts. These would decouple their prices from the gas market and pass savings directly to consumers.
You can read more on this at Home-building & Renovating.
The Bigger Picture: A System Under Pressure
While these figures mark real progress, energy experts warn that the UK isn’t out of the woods yet. Reaching 50.4% renewable electricity is a milestone, not a finish line. To maintain and increase this share, we’ll need to address several challenges:
Grid infrastructure is outdated and often unable to keep up with new wind and solar developments. Transmission capacity must be expanded to connect remote renewable sites to demand centres.
Planning and permitting delays are slowing down new projects, especially onshore wind and battery storage.
Public support is strong for renewables in general, but local opposition (the so-called “Not In My Backyard” effect) can stall otherwise viable projects.
Investment risks are growing. The financial viability of large-scale projects depends heavily on predictable government policy—which, in the current political climate, is anything but guaranteed.
The Financial Times has reported that even with these record numbers, investor confidence is weakening due to unclear signals from Westminster.
So, What Does It All Mean?
In some ways, 2024 was a proof of concept. It showed that a highly industrialised nation like the UK can run on renewables, for real, and at scale. It also showed that fossil fuels are increasingly redundant in our electricity system.
But the transition is far from complete. Electricity accounts for only around 20% of total energy consumption. Heat and transport, both still heavily reliant on fossil fuel , must now follow.
And that 50.4% figure? It’s only the beginning. To reach net zero by 2050, experts say we’ll need at least 75–90% of our electricity to come from renewables, with the rest from nuclear and storage.
The path forward will require not just technology and investment, but smart, stable policy, and public pressure to keep politicians focused.
Yes, the UK should be proud of what it achieved in 2024. But clean energy milestones are not endpoints. They are mile markers on a long road that leads, ultimately, to a sustainable future.
As we enter a decisive decade for climate and energy, one thing is clear: the revolution isn’t coming, it’s already here. The only question now is how fast we’re willing to keep moving.
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