Renewable energy generated a record amount of electricity in Great Britain in 2025, driven by strong wind output and a sharp rise in solar power, BBC analysis shows.
Provisional data from the National Energy System Operator (Neso) indicates wind remained the largest renewable source, producing more than 85 terawatt hours (TWh) – nearly 30% of Britain’s electricity. Overall, renewables including wind, solar, hydro and biomass generated more than 127TWh, beating the previous record set in 2024.
Solar power saw the fastest growth. Output rose by nearly a third compared with 2024, reaching more than 18TWh, helped by the UK’s sunniest year on record and a surge in new solar installations. At times in July, solar supplied over 40% of Britain’s electricity.
Despite the renewables record, electricity generation from fossil gas also increased slightly to around 27% of the mix. As a result, carbon emissions from power generation rose marginally compared with 2024, highlighting the challenge of meeting the government’s target for 95% clean electricity by 2030.
Experts say progress is strong but not yet fast enough. Expanding energy storage, nuclear power and grid infrastructure will be critical to reducing reliance on gas when wind and solar output is low. Photo by Dara Jasumanil, Wikimedia commons.