Wind Generated a record amount of electricity in 2022
Wind Generated a record amount of electricity in 2022
This morning did your alarm on your phone buzz to wake you from your sleep?
Did you turn on the light in your home so you could see in the darkness?
Did you use a toaster to heat your bread to make toast or boil the kettle to have a hot drink?
These activities all use electricity.
Electricity is generated in several ways from different sources like fossil fuels natural gas, coal and oil. Renewable energy is increasing as a way to generate electricity as you can see from the graph below.
Source: BBC website using the Crown Estate data
Map of Offshore Wind farms in the UK
In 2022, the United Kingdom (UK) saw a massive increase in the amount of electricity that was generated by wind power. This is really exciting news because it means that we are using more clean and renewable energy and this is better for the environment.
National Grid which manages Great Britain's energy grid, said that a new record for wind generation was set on 30 December, when 20.91 gigawatts (GW) were produced by wind turbines.
Wind turbines are massive machines that have big blades that spin around when the wind blows. Wind turbines are usually found in windy places, like on hills, remote places or out at sea. The blade's movement is used to generate electricity. The UK has a lot of windy places, so it's a great place to use wind turbines to generate electricity. The areas where there are lots of wind turbines are known as wind farms. Have a look at the map of the UK to see where these wind farms are located.
In 2022, wind power generated more electricity than ever before in the UK. This is partly because there are now more wind turbines in the country, but it's also because the wind blew stronger than usual. The extra electricity that was generated by wind power helped to reduce the amount of electricity that was generated by burning fossil fuels, like coal and gas. This is shown in the graph below.
Britain’s wind farms contributed a record 26.8% of the country’s electricity in 2022 although gas-fired power plants remained the biggest source of power according to National Grid.
Look at the graph below showing the sources of electricity generated 10 years ago. Can you spot the difference in the sources of power from 2012 to 2022? The amount of electricity generated from coal has reduced and the amount of wind has increased.
Why do you think that is?
Source: Energy matters website (using data collected from BP)
Using more wind power and less fossil fuels is one way that we can help to reduce the amount of pollution in the environment.
Wind power is helping the environment is by reducing the number of greenhouse gases that are produced. Greenhouse gases are gases in the atmosphere that trap heat from the sun and cause the Earth's temperature to rise. This temperature rise is called global warming, which can lead to climate change. Some of the effects of climate change include more extreme weather, like heat waves and storms, and rising sea levels. By reducing greenhouse gases we produce, wind power can help to slow down these effects.
Wind power can also create jobs for people. When new wind turbines are built, people are needed to design, build, and maintain them. This means that building and using wind turbines can help to create jobs in the local community.
Wind power is one of the most popular types of renewable energy. Wind power is known to be clean, safe and efficient. With the technological advancements being made, wind turbines are becoming more efficient, and the cost of wind energy is becoming more economical.
In conclusion, wind power generated a record amount of electricity in 2022 in the UK. This is a great step towards a cleaner, more sustainable future. As we continue to invest in wind power and other renewable energy sources, we will be able to generate more electricity without harming the environment. This will make for a better world for us and for future generations to come.
