UK sees the benefits of #renewable energy

The UK government has published a progress report on the state of the renewable energy industry in the UK and it shows clearly the economic benefits of investing in renewable sources.

According to last week’s report from the DECC (Department of Energy and Climate Change), the renewable energy industry is responsible for more than £2.5 billion of investment in the UK economy and is set to create more than 12,000 new jobs this fiscal year. There is an EU wide initiative to source 20% of all energy from renewable sources by 2020 and, though the UK is committed to a smaller percentage (15%), this recent announcement marks a major step forward in meeting these targets.

A separate report from the European Commission provided further details on the UK’s progress:

• A threefold increase in the use of transport biofuels from 1% in 2007 to 3.3% in 2010.
• Greater use of wind generation, up by 46% from 7TWh in 2008 to 10.2TWh in2010.
• A 27% increase in renewable energy use representing 3.3% of total energy consumed.