Renewable energy could produce three quarters of the UK’s electricity by 2030 without compromising reliability, Friends of the Earth has claimed.
In a report published today (26 May), entitled Switching on; how renewables will power the UK, the environmental group predicts that with falling energy costs and advances in storage technology, renewables could provide 75 per cent of the country’s power by that date.
The report predicts 65 per cent of the UK’s power will come from intermittent sources by 2030, and a further 10 per cent will come from less variable sources, like tidal, hydro and geothermal.
And as it points out, the UK has gone from 7 per cent renewable electricity to 25 per cent in six years, without causing blackouts.
It also predicts the UK will move to a zero-carbon energy system shortly after.
The report also warns new nuclear facilities are “unlikely to be built in time” and along with large-scale biomass “has significant environmental issues and so should be minimised and phased out”.
“It’s increasingly recognised that renewables like wind and solar are among the cheapest options for generating power in the UK, and it is also clear that they can be the foundation of a stable and reliable energy system,” said report author, Alasdair Cameron.
“If we get this right, we should be able to provide at least three quarters of our electricity from renewable sources by 2030, decarbonising our power supply, as well as driving down costs and maintaining reliability.”
But in order to achieve this, the report calls for the energy market to be reformed and “outdated regulatory barriers” removed to allow storage and demand side response to compete on a level playing field with other sources of generation.
It also calls on Ofgem to establish clear operating and performance standards for storage.
“This sector is where the smart money is going,” added Cameron. “With just weeks to go before a general election, it’s a good time to pressure candidates so that the next government reforms the energy market to give power to consumers and communities.”