'We're world leaders in this': Expert gives optimistic breakdown of UK electricity generation
8 October 2020, 18:27
Expert gives optimistic breakdown of UK electricity generation
This is the moment an energy expert gave LBC's James O'Brien an optimistic yet detailed breakdown of how the UK is generating electricity through wind power and other sustainable sources.
James Kelloway, who is the Energy Intelligence Manager at the National Grid, answered James' questions on wind power just a couple of days after the Prime Minister pledged to invest £160m in the energy source.
The Prime Minister's plan to invest £160m in offshore wind power represents an attempt by him to ensure the UK produces enough electricity to power every home in the country by 2030.
Despite being optimistic about the future, Mr Kelloway was also keen to tell James that the UK is already generating a lot of electricity from wind energy at the moment.
He said: "We already are taking an enormous of amount fo electricity from wind energy right now. So, for example, back last year in 2019, 20% of the whole country's electricity came solely from wind.
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"And that varies day to day as well. So, if you take an example from mid-August, one day I think 60% of the country's energy actually came from wind on that particular day."
Mr Kelloway was also keen to stress that the UK is "never going to be at a position where [it's] 100% dependent on wind energy".
"The key thing with electricity is it's made up with like a cocktail mixture if you like of all different types of fuels and they balance in different ways," he explained.
The energy expert then spoke of how the UK is a "world leader" as far as decarbonising its electricity grid was concerned.
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"We're actually world leaders in this and it's really important to recognise this," he said.
He added: "If you drove an electric taxi or an electric car back in 2013, it's now 60% better for the planet driving it today than it was back in 2013.
"We're doing this stuff already. Our ambition is that by 2025 we will actually go through a period of time where we have no fossil fuel generating the energy on the electricity gird. We will actually be able to run carbon-free for a period."
