Electric Insights

Electricity under lockdown: cheaper, cleaner, but harder to control.

Power prices have fallen to their lowest in nearly two decades.

May saw Britain’s solar panels produce more than ever, while every coal power station spent the whole month sitting idle.

Reduced demand, boosted renewables, and the near-total abandonment of coal pushed last quarter’s carbon emissions from electricity generation below 10 million tonnes.

The cost of keeping Britain’s power system stable has soared, and now adds 20% onto the cost of generating electricity.

Four-tenths of Britain’s electricity came from renewables last quarter, while coal supplied just 1/500th.

Britain’s solar farms and biomass power stations had a record-breaking quarter.