Great Britain Sets New Renewable Energy Records in 2025

In 2025, Britain saw record amounts of clean energy power from wind, solar and other renewables — even as the nation still uses some fossil fuels like gas. New data shows renewable electricity generation hit its highest ever level, pushing the country further toward a cleaner energy mix.

Strong Clean Power Growth

According to provisional data from the National Energy System Operator (Neso):

• Wind, solar, hydro and biomass generated more than 127 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity last year — beating the previous high from 2024.
• Wind power was the largest source, producing over 85 TWh, or nearly 30% of Britain’s electricity.
• Solar power also jumped strongly, generating more than 18 TWh — up by about one-third compared with 2024.

This means that renewables are playing a larger and larger role in how Britain meets its power needs. On some days in summer, solar panels produced more than 40% of the country’s electricity for short periods thanks to very sunny weather and expanded solar capacity. 

Growth of Solar and Wind

Britain’s clean power increases reflect two big trends:

1. More solar panels were installed in 2025 — especially on rooftops and in large solar farms — helping solar output rise sharply.
2. Wind energy remained a top source, especially from offshore wind farms around the UK that generate power even at night or during cloudy weather.

These changes came as Britain experienced its sunniest year on record in 2025, creating ideal conditions for solar growth.

Renewables Make Big Daily Contributions

Renewables didn’t just produce electricity over the year — they were important every day:

• In about one-third of days in 2025, at least half of Britain’s electricity came from renewables alone.
• This shows how wind and solar can power homes and businesses much of the time, especially when combined with other clean sources.

This marks a major step forward from a decade ago, when Britain generated much less electricity from renewable sources and relied more heavily on fossil fuels.

Fossil Fuels Still Present

Even with these records, fossil fuels — especially gas — still played a role:

• Gas generated about 27–28% of electricity in 2025, up slightly from the year before.
• This increase came partly because imported power fell, nuclear output was lower, and demand grew.

So Britain still leans on gas when wind and sun aren’t strong, or when demand is high. Experts say energy storage and other clean technologies will be needed to reduce reliance on fossil fuels more.

What This Means for Clean Energy Goals

Britain has a government target to get 95% of electricity from clean sources (renewables + nuclear) by 2030. Renewables’ strong performance in 2025 is progress, but some analysts say more growth and new technology will be needed to fully meet those goals. 

The data also shows how quickly clean energy has grown over the last decade — moving from a smaller part of the mix to nearly matching fossil fuels today.

Bottom Line

In 2025, Great Britain set new records for renewable electricity as wind and solar generated more power than ever before. Wind was the largest single source of electricity, and solar grew rapidly with record output. Yet gas still meets part of the demand, highlighting the challenge of completely phasing out fossil fuels. Clean power now plays an increasingly central role in the nation’s energy system, pushing Britain closer to its climate goals while showing how renewables can keep the lights on even on heavy-demand days.