Renewable Energy in the UK: Past, Present and Future

Description

​This book offers a detailed account of how renewable energy has moved from the margins to the mainstream in the UK, and of the battles that have been fought to achieve this, trawling through the often troubled history of government involvement. The book examines how renewables became what now seem likely to be the dominant energy sources of the future. Renewable energy technologies, using solar and wind power and other natural energy sources, are now supplying around 30% of UK electricity and appear set to continue expanding to supply around 50% within the next decade. Although the emphasis of the book is on the UK, developments there are compared with those in other countries to provide an overall assessment of the relevance of the UK experience. Chapters explore why the UK still lags behind many other countries in deploying renewables, in part, it is argued, due to its continued reliance on nuclear power. The book ends with a discussion on what sort of changes may be expected over the coming years. The author does not assume a single answer, but invites readers to consider the possibilities. Front Matter ....Pages i-xxii Renewables: From the Fringe to Dominance (David Elliott)....Pages 1-20 The Government Takes an Interest in the 1970s (David Elliott)....Pages 21-53 The Technology Moves on in the 1980s (David Elliott)....Pages 55-75 Forward to the Market into the 1990s (David Elliott)....Pages 77-104 Interim Analysis of the Story So Far (David Elliott)....Pages 105-124 The Market Takes Off Into the 2000s (David Elliott)....Pages 125-193 Sorting the System in the 2010s (David Elliott)....Pages 195-268 The Future into the 2020s and Beyond (David Elliott)....Pages 269-315 Back Matter ....Pages 317-322