Britain's Energy Transformation 2010-2024 and Future Outlook:
1. 2010-2019 Shift:
- Fossil fuels dropped from 75% to 40% of electricity generation
- Coal collapsed from 41% (2012) to under 2% (2019)
- Wind power rose from 3% to 21%
- Electricity consumption fell by 15%
2. 2019 Milestones:
- Renewables generated more than coal and gas combined in August
- Grid was coal-free for over 3,700 hours
- Wind energy surpassed nuclear annually for the first time
3. 2024 Achievements:
- August: Fossil fuel generation hit century-low of 3.6 TWh
- Wind generated 33% of August's demand
- CO2 emissions from power sector on track to be 40-50% lower than 2019
- Last coal-fired power station to close by September
4. Challenges for 2020s:
- Decarbonizing transport, heating, and hot water
- Shifting from natural gas to low-carbon alternatives for heating
- Developing energy storage and demand management systems
5. Predictions for 2020s:
- 30 GW additional marine energy generation
- Over 10,000 "active buildings" to be built
- Over 80% of new car sales to be electric vehicles
This transformation showcases Britain's rapid progress towards a low-carbon electricity system, with significant challenges and opportunities ahead in other sectors.