Growth in renewables reducing UK's reliance on energy imports, study finds
The UK's rollout of wind and solar power over the last decade has made its electricity supply 'more British', with significantly less reliance on imported gas, analysis has found.
Last year, just under half of Britain's electricity supply was powered by foreign energy imports, said researchers at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), down from 65% in 2014.
The figures come as energy security is increasingly in the spotlight in the UK, after the bills crisis in 2022 and 2023 caused primarily by spiking international gas prices after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Experts say if the UK had been less reliant on imported energy, prices would not have jumped as high.
The issue is also the subject of a major summit in London this week, hosted by the government and the International Energy Agency.
It comes as Labour seeks to massively ramp up the amount of green power generated in the UK over the next five years, as part of a push to improve energy security. The UK was the worst hit by the spike in gas pirces. / Credit: PA
Simon Cran-McGreehin, head of analysis at the ECIU, said: 'UK electricity is becoming more British and this is the net zero emissions target in action, decreasing our demand for foreign gas by boosting homegrown renewables.
'Gas output from the North Sea has been falling for decades, but British renewables like offshore wind are stepping in to help generate more British electricity.
'The regulator's own figures show any new drilling for gas will make minor difference to output, so it's renewables that will have to do the heavy lifting on energy security, protecting us from the geopolitics around energy and actors like (Russian leader Vladimir) Putin.
'Just like British households, UK industry has suffered from the ongoing gas price crisis which started in 2021 pushing up energy bills, but new renewables will also help to stabilise bills.'
The International Monetary Fund said the UK was the 'worst hit' country in Western Europe by the energy crisis because of its reliance on gas for heating and electricity.
Gas accounted for around 30% of the UK's electricity supply in 2024.
Labour has said it will decarbonise the power grid by 95% by the end of this decade, mainly by building more wind and solar farms.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: 'Clean homegrown power is the only route to true energy security and this analysis demonstrates exactly why this government is sprinting to clean power by 2030.
'Every wind turbine and solar panel we install will help to cut our reliance on foreign dictators, protecting both family and national finances from fossil fuel price spikes.
'Our Clean Power Action Plan provides the foundation for the UK to build an energy system that can bring down bills for households and businesses for good.'
The energy security summit will take place in London on Thursday and Friday.
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