Coal powered a third of Britain in 1990
In 1990, conventional thermal generation — overwhelmingly coal — produced 234 TWh, dwarfing every other source. Renewables barely registered.
By 2024, renewables lead
Renewables now generate more electricity than any other single source — 103 TWh in 2024. Coal-fired conventional thermal has collapsed to a fraction of its former self.
The coal exit
Coal’s share of primary energy fell from 31% in 1990 to just 1.5% in 2024. The decline accelerated after 2012 as carbon pricing and gas made coal uneconomic.
The last coal station closes
Ratcliffe-on-Soar, Britain’s last coal power station, closed on 30 September 2024 — ending 142 years of coal-fired generation. Britain became the first major economy to quit coal power entirely.
The renewables surge
Renewable electricity generation grew from 5 TWh in 1990 to 103 TWh in 2024 — a twenty-fold increase. Wind power, especially offshore, drove the transformation.
Renewables overtake every other source
In 2020, renewables surpassed gas-fired generation for the first time. By 2024, they accounted for 38% of all electricity — the single largest source, ahead of gas (29%) and nuclear (14%).
But electricity is only part of the story
The primary energy mix tells a different tale. Gas still supplies 36% and petroleum 38% of all energy consumed. Heating, transport, and industry remain fossil-fuel dependent.
Renewables + bioenergy: growing but still small
Combined, renewables and bioenergy now account for nearly 18% of primary energy — up from 0.5% in 1990. Real progress, but petroleum and gas still dominate at nearly 74%.
From exporter to importer
In the late 1990s, North Sea oil and gas made Britain a net energy exporter. As production declined, import dependency soared — reaching 42% by 2024.
The security trade-off
Britain now imports 58% of its gas and 46% of its oil. Gas storage covers just 9 days of demand — compared to 89 days in Germany and 103 in France. The green transition reduces fossil dependence but the journey is far from over.
Energy bills have surged
Nominal household energy spending more than quadrupled from £12bn in 1990 to £51bn in 2024 (roughly doubled after adjusting for inflation). The 2022 energy crisis saw bills spike to £55bn as gas prices soared — a stark reminder of fossil fuel vulnerability.
The honest picture
Britain’s electricity grid is a genuine success story — coal gone, renewables dominant. But overall energy is still 74% fossil fuels. Transport is barely decarbonised. Energy bills rose. The grid is transformed; the rest is work in progress.