The United Kingdom's primary source of energy is from fossil fuels. The country consumed 142.0million tons of oil equivalent in 2019. The UK's energy consumption per capita was 2.78 tonnes of oil equivalent compared to 1.92 tons globally. This was a substantial increase on the previous year. This trend will continue.
Community energy
The legal and political framework for community-energy in the United Kingdom presents many challenges and is hard to implement. First of all, community-energy is not a government-run, market-based organization. Community energy is not able to make decisions within the British policy framework. Therefore, it is hard to institutionalize community energy and to challenge bad decisions.
Community energy projects typically involve a decentralised system that is connected to the local distribution grid. In addition, community groups can work with local DNOs to pilot new and smart technologies that can reduce their energy use and carbon footprint. This could include the collective switching of electricity and gas suppliers, as well as the installation of solar panels or wind turbines.
Community energy project are a great way for people to save money on energy and also fund other activities. Local contractors are almost always used in small-scale community projects. Recent research shows that 161 of 38 community energy organizations that completed projects used local contractors. This means that local businesses have been able to benefit from the funds raised by these community projects.
Pumped-storage power
There are many benefits to the UK's electric system from using pumped-storage electricity. It can help reduce transmission bottlenecks and restore power supplies during blackouts. Pumped storage also helps to reduce the cost for balancing the nation's grid. This ultimately benefits consumers. SSE Renewables welcomed the Scottish government's approval for a revised Coire Glas project for pumped storage.
The UK's first project of this size is in Lochaber, Scotland. The company intends to build a 1.5GW project of pumped-storage hydroelectricity there. The project is currently in limbo while the developer looks for an attractive financial incentive. The developer hopes to start construction on the project in 2024.
There is huge potential in the UK for pumped storage power. This type of storage can be done in closed loop locations and abandoned coal mines. Globally, there are approximately 600,000. These locations are affordable over the long-term. Pumped storage is the cheapest way to store energy for up, a week according to the UK Committee on Climate Change.
Wind farms
Wind power is one among the most significant energy sources in Britain. The UK government committed to increasing renewable energy's share in the power mix by 2020. There is currently 22 gigawatts installed wind capacity in the UK, with another 10 gigawatts offshore. This is due in large part to government efforts to decrease carbon emissions.
Three of the UK's major offshore wind developers currently operate in the UK. DONG Energy UK and RWE Npower Renewables work on projects to create wind farms in Britain. Just a few short months after the first round, the Crown Estate, the UK government, launched the third round for site allocations in June 2008. This round was considerably larger than its predecessors. It identified sites capable to producing up 25 gigawatts.
Since onshore wind costs less to develop than offshore wind in development, the government has removed subsidies for those who want to build wind farms. In response to local complaints, however, the government has tightened its planning regulations. Wind farms, for example, must be identified in neighborhood plans and updated every five years. Construction times have been slowed by the lengthy planning process.