REM: Wind was largest source of UK electricity in first quarter

Wind power was the largest source of electricity in the UK in the first quarter of 2023, according to new research from Imperial College.

Wind turbines provided 32.4% of the UK’s electricity in the first three months of the year, whereas gas was responsible for 31.7% of the electricity.

"There are still many hurdles to reaching a completely fossil fuel-free grid, but wind out-supplying gas for the first time is a genuine milestone event," Iain Staffell, energy researcher at Imperial College and lead author of the report, told the BBC.

“The renewable power revolution has transformed how Britain gets its electricity, making our power grid cleaner and greener,” he said.

Wind output was 3% higher compared with the first quarter of 2022. Gas, in contrast, had dropped by 5%.