Due to Storm Bella, on Boxing Day, more than half of the country’s daily electricity came from wind turbines. However, the reliability of wind energy is a concern.
Our research shows that the electricity system operator increased its reliance on gas-fired power plants by 20% in September compared with the year before. This was amid a slump in renewable energy generation.
“To compensate for the lower wind speeds and dunkelflautes – dark, still periods – we turned to gas and coal,” he said. “It’s part and parcel of relying more on weather-driven capacity and interconnector exports, which makes us more reliant on the vagaries of the wind and sun.”Tom Edwards, Senior Modelling Consultant