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Renewable concerns
Jim Holder’s Inside Information column of 4 August sets out how National Grid believes it can cope with the shift to electrification. The energy generation sector has made significant progress towards net zero, but that progress appears to be stalling and isn’t keeping pace with the rapid acceleration in electrified vehicle uptake.
Renewable sources are increasingly important in UK power generation (a record 42.9% in 2020), but fossil fuels were still responsible for almost as much (41%), and the pace of investment is slowing just when EVs are rising. In the first quarter of 2021, renewable power generation stood at 34.7TWh, a 16% year-on-year decrease, with government figures showing that growth in renewable capacity has slowed since the start of 2020. Plug-in vehicle registrations, meanwhile, rose 140% in 2020 and 82% in the first quarter of this year.
While smart chargers could ensure that we keep our lights on and delay expensive – but ultimately necessary – grid reinforcements, not every EV user has the luxury of one at home.