Rapid decline in fossil fuels

A rise in renewables, a fall in demand and cheaper power imports have all helped to reduce the use of fossil fuels in the UK to record lows. For the first time last year, more electricity was generated by renewables than fossil fuels.

Homegrown UK renewable power from wind, solar and hydropower generated 37% of UK electricity in 2024 (103TWh) compared to 35% from fossil fuels (97TWh). Just three years ago, in 2021, fossil fuels accounted for 46% of UK electricity, while low-carbon renewables generated 27%.

Fossil fuel generation has fallen by two-thirds since 2000, due to the long awaited phase-out of coal, and gas being increasingly displaced by cheaper, cleaner power sources.

Kelly Becker, president UK and Ireland, Belgium and Netherlands, at Schneider Electric said: “This marks a significant milestone towards the government’s Clean Power 2030 ambition and firmly positions the UK as a global leader in tackling climate change.

“However, there is still a long way to go before we can reach our wider emissions reduction targets. There need to be concrete plans for wider sectoral decarbonisation, namely industrial and building decarbonisation.

“Digitalisation will be key to this, and we need greater coordination between government and business to increase the uptake of digital technologies for energy efficiency and productivity.

“The energy transition will not only reduce environmental impact, but will also unlock economic growth as well as job creation – with our research finding that 247,000 jobs can be created in the UK by adopting clean energy technologies across the UK’s building stock. This will be crucial for the UK’s progress towards a more sustainable and technologically advanced future.”