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GB grid nowLow-carbon74%Wind49.3%Solar0.0%Nuclear13.5%Gas18.3%Imports7.7%Carbon intensity93 g/kWh

Independent · UK · Since 2023

Britain’s power, explained

Solar, wind, heat, storage, hydrogen and nuclear: how they work, what they cost and what they mean for the UK.

Explore technologies Latest news

GB grid right now74%of Britain’s electricity is coming from low-carbon sources this half hourLive data

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Solar news

Solar · UKTwo large solar farms in the East Midlands win development consent in two daysThe Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has approved two large ground-mounted solar farms in the space of two days. Green Hill Solar Farm, with a capacity of up to 500 megawatts (MW), was granted development…9 Oct 2026

Policy & marketsEnergy bills this winter: a 4% cap rise, VAT off electricity, and a forecast 16% jump in JanuaryHousehold energy bills in Great Britain changed on 1 October 2026 in two ways at once: Ofgem's price cap went up, and the government took…8 Oct 2026 Storage & gridOfgem gives NESO another month to issue Gate 2 grid connection offersOfgem has agreed to give the National Energy System Operator (NESO) one more month to send out the last of its Gate 2 Phase 1 grid…8 Oct 2026

Britain’s grid in numbers

Low-carbon share of GB electricityLast 24 hours

74%

Carbon intensityLast 24 hours

93gCO₂/kWh

Wind share of generationLast 24 hours

49%

30-day average carbon intensityLast 30 days

Range 31–247

118gCO₂/kWh

Great Britain, half-hourly to 13 Oct, 22:00 UK time. Source: NESO Carbon Intensity API. Live grid data →

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Most read explainers

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Blue swings in a sunny outdoor playground with sand and grass.

Energy-generating playgrounds: turning fun into power

A lively nightclub with people dancing and enjoying music under colorful lights.

Piezoelectric dance floors: can dancing power a club?

A modern canal lock system featuring safety buoys and lock gates on a sunny day.

Canal-based hydropower systems

Front view of the TU Delft Reactor Institute, Netherlands in daylight.

Small modular reactors (SMRs) in the energy transition

Close-up of a glass filled with sparkling water and ice cubes on a white background.

Solar-powered ice makers: how off-grid ice and cold chains work

A detailed view of hot embers and burning firewood, creating a warm atmosphere.

The evolution of biomass energy: from ancient fire to modern power stations

Orange train speeding on railway tracks in dense fog with speed sign visible.

Magnetic levitation trains: how maglev works and how much energy it uses

High-rise building with cranes in urban area against blue sky backdrop.

Gravity energy storage: lifting weights to store power

Energy glossary

Plain-English definitions of the words in energy news and bills.

AlbedoThe share of incoming sunlight that a surface reflects, on a scale from 0 (absorbs everything) to 1 (reflects everything).Anaerobic digestionA process in which microbes break down organic material such as food waste, slurry and crops without oxygen, producing biogas and a fertiliser called digestate.Balancing MechanismThe real-time market the National Energy System Operator uses to pay generators, batteries and large users to change their output so supply matches demand every second.