Insights
Electricity generation
Source: NESO
UK electricity generation in 2025
In 2025, more electricity came from renewable and nuclear power sources than from fossil fuels and overall wind power was the second largest source of electricity, breaking new records.
- Renewables generated a record 52.5% of the UK’s electricity in 2025.
- Wind generation was our largest single source of power, and increased to a record 30% (a record 87.1TWh), up from 29.2% (83.6TWh) in in 2024.
- Solar provided a record 6.9% (a record 20TWh) of the UK’s electricity in 2025, a significant increase from 5.1% (14.6TWh) in 2024.
Our changing electricity system
The way we produce (generate) electricity is changing, due to a number of reasons.
- Energy security – in an increasingly unstable international environment, we need to be able to rely on our own energy sources and be self-sufficient for energy. Allowing other countries control over our energy is a risky strategy.
- Affordability – the price we pay for gas, which until recently was our largest single source of power and still provides the majority of our heating needs, is set by international markets. This affects the price of electricity. The more we can generate our power from clean, homegrown sources and move to electric forms of heating and transport, the less the price we pay will be subject to international events.
- Fighting climate change – there is no doubt that human-made climate change is already contributing to extreme weather events, from flooding to droughts. This is a result of more greenhouse gasses in the environment. Changing the way we extract energy, from finite fossil fuels to clean and stable sources like nuclear or infinite renewable sources, has already played a massive role in reducing the UK’s carbon emissions. This is a global trend, with many countries choosing renewables as they are the easy economic choice.
Decarbonising other sectors, such as heat and transport, will rely on increased system flexibility, and developing technologies. The more users of the electricity system, the more costs will reduce.
The UK has a legally binding target to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050, and the energy industry will play a pivotal role in achieving this. The power sector has already cut emissions by two-thirds since 1990, thanks to a huge growth in renewables and the steep decline in the use of coal for electricity generation.
A history of electricity generation and the phase out of coal
The world’s first coal-fired power station opens
Coal is already powering the industrial revolution when Thomas Edison opens the world’s first public power station in London. Coal will continue to provide the majority of our electricity for the next century.
The Great Smog strikes London
A series of lethal smog events across the capital results in the creation of early legislation in 1956 to address air pollution. This leads to the closure of Battersea Power Station and the site that is now Tate Modern.
Power stations scale up
Coal becomes central to the modernising grid as a new generation of megawatt-scale coal power stations is developed in the middle of the country, close to coal fields – especially in the Trent Valley and South Yorkshire (pictured: Eggborough). The grid is built to connect these central plants to major towns and cities.
Industrial action
Coal mining declined in the UK over decades, but most famously comes to a head in the 1984-85 miners’ strike. Communities are devastated as hundreds of thousands of jobs are lost.
As we progress towards Net Zero, we need to focus on achieving a just transition that doesn’t leave people and places behind.
The ‘dash for gas’
Following privatisation, a change in rules, and growing production in the North Sea, there is a massive expansion of gas power in the 1990s – overtaking coal in 1999.
The Emissions Trading Scheme
The EU introduces a first-of-a-kind carbon market to encourage heavy polluters to reduce their emissions.
The Climate Change Act
The UK commits to reducing carbon emissions to 80% of their 1990 level by 2050. This requires phasing out coal.
Drax starts converting to biomass
Following trials of firing wood and coal together, some old coal power stations commit to fully converting to biomass.
Carbon Price Support
Coal is still not decisively cheaper than gas, so the Government introduces a top-up carbon price to encourage the market to shift away from coal.
Government commits to the end of coal by 2025
The Government gives itself a decade to complete the end of using coal to generate electricity.
Net Zero targets become law
The Climate Change Act target is tightened and the UK becomes the first major economy to commit to Net Zero by 2050.
Our longest coal-free period
With low demand during the pandemic and continued progress on the coal phaseout, the UK sets a record 67 days without the use of coal.
Phaseout bought forward
Marking the UK hosting COP26 in Glasgow, the Government announces that it is bringing the deadline for the coal phaseout forward to October 2024.
Winter support contracts
In response to the supply crunch following the invasion of Ukraine, the Government takes measures to keep coal power stations online to ensure the lights stay on.
Ratcliffe closes
In time for the deadline, the UK’s last coal power station closes on 30 September 2024. This marks the end to a century-and-a-half of coal powering Britain.
