LONDON, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- Though production from low-carbon resources is up, the British economy still relies on coal, the Department of Energy and Climate Change said Thursday.
The DECC published provisional energy statistics for 2013 to highlight trends in the energy sector.
The department said in its Thursday report coal accounted for 40.7 percent of the electricity supplied last year.
"Despite a decrease in coal use in 2013, the contribution of coal to the U.K.'s electricity mix remains high compared to recent years," the report said.
DECC said coal provided an average 30 percent of the electricity generated from 2009 to 2011.
Nevertheless, the DECC said low-carbon resources accounted for 32.7 percent of the energy supplied to the British market last year, up from the 29.4 percent reported for 2012.
"Wind generation by major power producers was up 38 percent, and its share of major power producer generation has grown from 5.5 percent in 2012 to 7.7 percent in 2013," the report said.
Similar trends were reported for bioenergy, though low rainfall last year was blamed for a lower output from hydroelectric resources.
Energy output from the country's nuclear sector was static, making up about 65 percent of the low-carbon portfolio.
