Great Britain just registered its greenest summer ever, and the growth rate of clean energy is astonishing.
The Guardian commissioned an analysis of Britain's energy generation, which showed a sharp reduction in electricity created by fossil fuels.
In August, for example, fossil fuels generated under 20% of electricity, which was a record low for any month. That decrease in usage represents a steep 40% drop from the year before, according to the energy think tank Ember, which led the analysis. The record-low usage of dirty energy held up from June to August, making it the greenest summer yet.
Meanwhile, the analysis revealed solar energy was up almost 20% from the summer of the year before, and wind power was up 40%.
The data showed that Britain's innovation in clean energy sources like offshore wind is paying huge dividends already. The data comes as a boon for British clean energy as the Labour government chases a goal of virtually zero dirty energy sources for the grid by 2030.
Recently, the government announced that it is funding 131 clean energy projects that will power 11 million homes. However, the Guardian cautions the investment falls short of the numbers needed to get to zero-carbon electricity by 2030.
Still, the rapid growth of clean energy in Great Britain is a huge achievement. Converting to sustainable energy provides all sorts of benefits for the environment, country, and British people.
For one thing, Great Britain reduces its reliance on costly fossil fuel imports and enhances its energy security. Another benefit is reducing the air pollution and warming of the planet caused by burning dirty energy. That means cleaner air and slowing the effects of climate change. Over time, clean energy also promises to be cheaper.
The energy report impressed British energy experts who spoke to the Guardian.
Emma Pinchbeck, chief executive of the industry body Energy UK, put the turnaround into context, noting that Britain was running on 40% coal energy not so long ago.
She added that the rapid change "would have been dismissed by many as impossible."
Frankie Mayo, an Ember analyst, called it "a great starting point on the path to clean power by 2030."
Ed Miliband, Britain's energy secretary, kept his eyes on the prize, saying: "While these figures are to be welcomed, we have a mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower."
So far, so good for Great Britain.
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