Energy Prices Drop Below Zero in UK Thanks to Record Wind-Generated Electricity [View all]

The Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm in Scotland. dapec / iStock / Getty Images Plus

Energy Prices Drop Below Zero in UK Thanks to Record Wind-Generated Electricity

Ecowatch.com | Cristen Hemingway Jaynes | December 19, 2024

Record wind-generated electricity across Northern Ireland and Scotland Tuesday night pushed Britain’s power prices below zero.

Wind output peaked at a record high 22.4 gigawatts (GW), breaking the previous high set Sunday evening, the national system operator said, as Bloomberg reported. The record output provided more than 68 percent of the country’s power.

From 5:30 to 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, the half-hourly price fell to 6.57 pounds per megawatt-hour, according to data from European power exchange Epex Spot.

“Setting another clean electricity generation record just four days after the previous high shows the pivotal role wind is playing in keeping the country powered up during the festive season,” said Dan McGrail, chief executive of RenewableUK, as reported by Yahoo Finance. “This is also demonstrated by today’s official figures which reveal that renewables have generated more than half our electricity for four quarters in a row.”

The record was a major reversal from last week’s low wind output when electricity was mostly supplied by gas...more
https://www.ecowatch.com/energy-prices-below-zero-uk-wind-power.html


Wind turbines in the hills of County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Alan Currie / iStock / Getty Images Plus

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