The stranglehold thatfossil fuelshave over the energy sector – and indeed the clime – looks to in the end have been broken , with the belated figure indicating that Britain now generate more power from zero - carbon source than gas and coal .
Over the first five month of 2019,renewable energy sourcessuch as wind , hydro , and nuclear power inched ahead of fossil fuel as the UK ’s main generators of electricity . According to the National Grid , clean energy account for 47.9 pct of the country ’s office between January and May , with carbon copy fuels making up 46.7 percent .
The tip may seem narrow-minded , but the import of this shift is huge . National Grid CEO John Pettigrew toldBBC Newsthat this is “ the first time since the Industrial Revolution that more electrical energy has been produced from zero and downcast - carbon seed rather than fogey fuels . It ’s hugely exciting because it ’s such a tipping point . "
Current predictions for theescalation of climate changeremain grim , and much more progress is needed if we are to avoid catastrophic heating of the planet . Yet this monumental milepost is a testament to what can be achieve with a trivial political and industrial will .
Just 10 old age ago , more than three - tail of Britain ’s electricity came from fossil fuels , with 30 per centum being derive from coal , while twist world power contributed just 1.3 percent . This class , however , 19 pct of the county ’s tycoon has been generated from malarky , with a further 18 percentage coming from atomic sources . Coal , meanwhile , has accounted for just 3 percent of the UK ’s electricity in 2019 .
gasoline remains the single biggest generator of power in Britain , lead 41 percentage , but plans are in lieu to phase in moreclean energy . For example , oeuvre is now afoot to relate the UK ’s power gridiron to Norway ’s hydro internet , which is fueled by Northern Europe ’s largest hydro - baron flora .
Pettigrew also differentiate the BBC that the batteries in electric cars could soon be used tostore energyproduced by wind and hydro - power flora , and then feed this index back into the storage-battery grid via saddle points during time of peak energy purpose .
The example countersink by Britain demonstrate that technological solution to the push and climate crises are already available . However , the main obstacles to enforce these clean system are predominantly political , as a shift towards zero - carbon energy will inevitably see job shed from the fossil fuel sector and channelise to the renewables diligence .
The UK has already pledge to make this change , and is trust to becoming a‘net - zero ’ economyby 2050 . But with much of Trump ’s financial support coming from the dodo fuel sector , it ’s unlikely the US will succeed suit until he is oust from office .
