Green energy up, but coal still leads U.K. energy

LONDON, April 24 (UPI) -- The share of renewable energy on the British grid increased in the three months ending in February, though coal still dominated, the government said Thursday.

The British Department of Energy and Climate Change published energy data from December to February.

For renewable energy resources, DECC said wind power dominated the sector with offshore wind capacity increasing 39 percent in the three-month period and onshore wind up 68 percent compared to the same period one year ago.

For bioenergy, capacity increased 9.4 percent and the low-carbon share of electricity on the British grid increased by 7 percent to 36.7 percent year-on-year.

Coal, however, provided 41 percent of the electricity generated, with natural gas and nuclear power accounting for the bulk of the remaining power share.

The British economy relied more on imports as coal and crude oil production declined, Natural gas production, however, increased 1.3 percent compared with the same period one year ago.

Energy consumption in general declined 7.6 percent compared to the same period a year earlier, DECC said.