Providing for the UK’s Energy Needs

Electricity Generation

Oil is of central importance in the transport sector, but in power generation its use is very small and diminishing. However, the use of gas in electricity generation is projected to increase substantially, from some 36% currently to 60% in 2020 in the ‘favourable to gas’ case and 54% in the ‘favourable to coal’ case.

Figure 14: UK Electricity Generation 2000-2020

Meanwhile, coal’s share of electricity generation is anticipated to fall in both of DTI’s scenarios, from 34% in 2005 to 21% (‘favourable to coal’) and 15% (‘favourable to gas’) and the contribution of nuclear is assumed to be immune to relative coal and gas prices, so its share falls from 21% to 7% in both scenarios, all within the same time frame.