Wind Energy Witnessed 31% Growth During the Year 2009 in the UK

RenewableUK, a leading association for renewable trade energy, has announced an increase of about 31% in wind power generation during the year 2009.

The trade body constitutes more than 680 members from UK’s wind, wave and tidal energy sectors. The fraternity cited the statistics brought out by DECC as an element of the Digest UK Energy Statistics (DUKES) for the year 2010.

According to the data, during the year 2008 and 2009 the total electric power produced from renewable energy sources increased by 20% from 5.6% to 6.7%. The wind energy has made a record growth of 31% during the period and currently represents nearly 2.5% of the total electric power produced during the period in the UK. All through the year 2009 UK has achieved around 9,304 Gwh of electric power from wind energy sources, that is enough to provide power to more than two million homes in the UK. RenewableUK while welcoming the published energy report also urged the UK government to increase the set, offshore wind power energy target of 12 GW by 2020 to 20 GW.

Maria McCaffery MBE, who leads RenewableUK as its Chief Executive, expressed her happiness about the good news on wind energy sector and stressed the need to move further, persisting with renewable energy sector to achieve the targeted, one third of total power supply through renewal energy sources by the year 2015. She added that, to meet the set renewable energy targets by the year 2020, UK must institute exploring more on offshore wind potential. She clarified that UK has enough potency, to deliver around 49 GW from wind energy sector during the next decade to meet nearly half of the total electric power requirements. She concluded that the growth in wind energy sector can be achieved only with unassailable political will, and strong policy framework.