Wind power generation across Great Britain reached a record 29TWh in Q1 2026, the highest level for any quarter.
Montel EnAppSys said the increase was driven in part by winter storms Goretti, Ingrid and Chandra, which brought prolonged periods of high wind speeds.
The company added that wind output remained elevated for extended periods, supporting system supply and enabling increased exports.
Wind generation could have been 11% higher but 3.6TWh of potential output was curtailed due to transmission constraints.
“Despite the good news of higher wind output, curtailment remained a key feature of the system, reflecting transmission constraints between northern generation and southern demand centres,” said Phil Hewitt, director at Montel EnAppSys.
“While renewable deployment must continue in order to meet the government’s 2030 clean power targets, the continual curtailment of wind is already pushing the narrative beyond the need for more renewables, focusing more on the effective siting of generation and need for greater grid investment and planning.”
Total renewable generation reached 40.3TWh in Q1 2026, up from 33.7TWh in the same period last year.
Renewables accounted for 52% of total electricity generation in Great Britain during the quarter.
Higher wind output contributed to a 16% fall in gas generation compared to Q1 2025.
However, CCGT generation still accounted for 29% of total generation, remaining the main domestic balancing source.
Net power imports via interconnectors fell to 6.1TWh from 7.8TWh a year earlier, while nuclear generation declined 7% year-on-year.