Great Britain’s electricity grid was the greenest it’s ever been at 1pm on Easter Monday, with renewable sources dominating power generation, according to National Grid ESO (NGESO).
The carbon intensity of electricity – the measure of CO2 emissions per unit of electricity consumed – dropped to 39 gCO2 per kilowatt-hour on 5 April, the lowest figure in history.
Sunny spells and blustery conditions, coupled with low demand driven by the Easter holiday, meant renewable sources of power dominated the energy mix over the holiday weekend.
At 1pm wind power made up 39% of the electricity mix, solar power 21%, and nuclear 16% – meaning zero carbon power sources made up almost 80% of the nation’s power.
The previous record of 46 gCO2/kWh was set on May 24 2020 – part of what was a record-breaking year for GB electricity.
NGESO director Fintan Slye said: “Great news and another example of Britain’s exciting energy transition as we prepare to host COP26.
“These records really underline the progress we’re making towards our ambition of being able to operate the electricity system with zero carbon by 2025.”