Wind Power on the Rise

New records have been set by wind turbines which could lead to an overturned temporary suspension by the government.

(photo credit: Irina Iriser)

In the mild weather after the end of the winter cold snap - which brought a long period of low wind - wind turbines were once again able to start producing lots of power. On December 30 alone wind farms across Britain outputted 20.91 gigawatts (enough to power an Xbox Series X for 100 million hours), setting a new record for the third time in 2022.

This recent rise in wind power has lowered gas prices due to decreased demand, and lessened the threat of power cuts throughout the rest of the winter. The ESO (operator of the National Grid) said that another record was also set at the end of 2022 as nuclear and renewable sources supplied over 80% of the total power on the Grid, compared to percentages closer to 50 in recent years.

(photo credit: Brett Sayles)

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to overturn a temporary ban on more onshore wind farm projects after backbenchers expressed their discontent with the moratorium, as wind power is - and will continue to be a significant part of reducing Britain’s emissions to net zero. England’s largest ever wind turbine is set to start construction in Bristol in February this year. It is hoped that it will be able to produce enough power to support 3,500 households.