There were 714 sites in England generating electricity from renewable sources, compared with 304 in Scotland, 102 in Wales and 83 in Northern Ireland.

Using hydro-based capacity, Scotland has the ability to generate 24% more electricity from renewables than England because it has 87% of the UK’s hydro resource (Chart 1 and Chart 3). Hydro accounts for 61% of the renewables generation from Scotland.

Because biofuels-based capacity was used more intensively than hydro, which is subject to seasonal variation of precipitation in the catchment area, generation from renewables in England was over 35% higher than Scotland.

In England, the number of sites varies from 8 (there are additional sites but the precise number cannot be disclosed) in London to 124 in the North West (Chart 2) but in capacity terms East has the greatest ability to generate while the South East and the North West are the second largest and third largest (Chart 4). This is because in East region the predominant technologies tend to be those that have large capacity plants; 20% of the UK's landfill gas sourced generating capacity and 16% of the UK's capacity to generate from other biofuels and wastes are to be found in East region, closely followed by the South East (17% of the UK's landfill gas capacity and 19% of the UK's other biofuels and wastes capacity).

The only English regions to generate more than 10 GWh from hydro in 2005 were the South West (29.1 GWh), the East Midlands (15.2 GWh) and the North East (11.1 GWh).

Scotland has 48% of the capacity to generate from wind and in 2005 produced 48% of the output from wind (Chart 3 and Chart 5); Wales was the next largest - 18% of capacity and 21% of generation - followed by the North West of England (7½% of the capacity but 7% of the output), Northern Ireland (5½% of capacity and 7% of generation), the East of England (6% of capacity and 4½% output), and South East (5% of the capacity but 5½% of the output) (Charts 4 and Chart 6). A map of wind farm capacities in the UK at the end of 2005 is now available on the Map Pages of this site.

East, North West and the South East together accounted for over 56% of UK generation from landfill gas.

92% of the generation from other biofuels (including biofuels used for co-firing) took place in England with the South East (20%) the largest, followed by Yorkshire and the Humber (18%) and the East (12%). Excluding biofuels used for co-firing which cannot be allocated to regions, the South East has the largest capacity to generate from biofuels (19% of the UK total) followed by London (17%) the East (16%) and the West Midlands (13%).

In terms of total renewables generating capacity, Scotland (239 MWe), the North West (90 MWe), East Midlands (61 MWe) and East (33 MWe) have shown considerable growth in the most recent year. This growth has primarily come from wind; Scotland (200 MWe), the North West (85.2 MWe), East Midlands (48.5 MWe) and East (30.5 MWe)

Comparison with economic activity

Charts 3, 4, 5 and 6 do not take into account the level of economic activity in each country or region. This can be readily measured in terms of Gross Value Added (GVA). Chart 7 show that Scotland not only has the largest generating capacity from renewables, it is the largest in terms of capacity per unit of GVA and generation per unit of GVA. Wales is larger than England in capacity per unit of GVA terms although it has only a third of England’s total renewables generating capacity.

Northern Ireland is also larger than England in terms of both capacity per unit of GVA and generation per unit of GVA. Among the English regions East is highest in generating capacity per unit of GVA terms followed by North West then the North East. In terms of Generation/GVA, East is followed by the North West and South East. Note that co-firing capacity has not been allocated to individual regions.

Comparison with 2003, 2004 and 2005

Between 2003 and 2006 there was a 72% increase in generation from renewables in the UK, but faster rates of growth were recorded in Northern Ireland (237%), the South East of England (149%) Yorkshire and the Humber (90%) Scotland (87%), the South West (81%) and Wales (79%) (Chart 8 and Chart 9). For the individual technology groups some very large increases are recorded in percentage terms because in 2003 there was very little use of some of the technologies in various regions. For example wind generation in the South East in 2006 was more than 60 times its low level in 2003 mainly because of offshore developments in the Thames Estuary that are linked to the electricity network in the South East. In Northern Ireland the substantial growth was from low levels in 2003 for wind, hydro and biofuels. The apparent absence of growth in London is mainly due to the suppression of wind generation data for disclosure reasons.

The South East of England has become the leading region in generation from renewables in 2006 not only through the expansion in offshore wind, but also through increased co-firing of biomass with fossil fuels at two of its power stations. At the same time reduction in co-firing of biomass has led to generation from renewables in Yorkshire and the Humber and in the North East and the West Midlands showing a fall between 2005 and 2006.