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Grid records

Britain's cleanest half hours and days since 2017 (carbon intensity) and 2018 (generation mix), and how today measures up.

The end of coal

739

days without coal power

The last coal on Britain’s grid was at 30 September 2024, 13:00, as Ratcliffe-on-Soar, the last coal station, closed. In 2012 coal made 39% of the UK’s electricity.

Coal’s share of UK electricity generation, by year. Source: DESNZ Energy Trends; more on the path to net zero.

  • Lowest carbon intensity

    19g/kWh

    15 April 2024, 13:30

    Today's lowest appears after the first half hour.

  • Cleanest day

    39g/kWh on average

    5 April 2024

    Today's figure appears once the day ends.

  • Most wind

    75.4%

    5 October 2025, 03:00

    Median of three half hours. The highest single reading was 76.0%, at 22:30 on 4 October 2025.

    Today's figure appears after the first hour.

  • Most solar

    45.5%

    25 April 2026, 12:30

    Median of three half hours. The highest single reading was 45.6%, at 13:00 on 25 April 2026.

    Today's figure appears after the first hour.

  • Most zero-carbon power

    91.7%

    28 March 2026, 12:30

    Today's figure appears after the first hour.

  • Least gas

    1.5%

    22 April 2026, 14:30

    Today's figure appears after the first hour.

The tick is the record and the bar is today, on a 0 to 100% or 0 to 300 g/kWh scale. Where lower is better, the bar runs in from the right.

Year by year

Average intensity each year. Point at a year for more.

2025129 g/kWh on average37.4% of half hours under 100wind 32.2%

  1. 284’17
  2. 248’18
  3. 213’19
  4. 180’20
  5. 188’21
  6. 183’22
  7. 152’23
  8. 125’24
  9. 129’25
  10. 123’26

Lighter bars are part years: 2017 from September, when the series begins, and this year to date.