Data from the National Grid shows that wind energy is by far the greatest contributor to renewable energy production. It produces more electricity than all other renewables put together and more than a quarter of all the electricity generated in the UK.

The increasing use of renewables is a vital component of the UK’s drive to eliminate carbon-based electricity generation by 2035 on the way to achieving complete net zero by 2050. To make this happen, we can expect to see the line in that top chart continue to ascend over the coming years. For example, plans are already in place to increase both wind output and solar capacity by a factor of 400 to 500 percent between now and 2030.

Remember, it is not necessary to hit 100 percent in order to meet the government’s 2035 and 2050 commitments, as there are other green energy sources such as nuclear and hydrogen that can be combined with renewables to keep forcing those carbon emissions down.

Nuclear currently contributes 15 percent of the UK’s electricity, and this will increase to 25 percent over the next ten years with the addition of as many as eight large nuclear plants, including Sizewell C, Wylfa and Hinkley Point C. The government is also supporting research into small modular reactors (SMRs) like those being developed by Rolls Royce.

The final component is from the Hydrogen Strategy. This really sees Hydrogen as the fuel of the future, and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) predicts Hydrogen could meet about a third of the UK’s electricity demands by 2050. That seems ambitious right now, but not as ambitious as 40 percent from renewables would have seemed 20 years ago. These are exciting times, and we will monitor progress with interest.