A record-breaking day for Great Britain’s electricity system
Great Britain’s electricity system has reached a landmark moment, demonstrating just how far the transition to clean energy has progressed.
On 22 April 2026, the National Energy System Operator (NESO) recorded the cleanest moment in the history of the electricity system, with 98.8% of electricity generated from zero‑carbon sources during a half‑hour period between 3.30pm and 4pm. This marked the highest proportion of zero‑carbon electricity ever achieved on the system, surpassing previous records earlier in the month and underlining the rapid pace of change across the UK’s energy landscape.
What powered this record moment?
At the time of the record, Britain’s electricity mix was dominated by home‑grown, low‑carbon technologies:
- Wind: 50.1%
- Nuclear: 34.4%
- Biomass: 9.8%
- Solar: 2.2%
- Hydro: 1.5%
- Batteries: 0.8%
- Gas: just 1.2%, an historic low across both transmission and distribution networks.
The same period also saw solar generation reach new heights. Solar output hit 14.8GW at midday, breaking the previous record set earlier in April, and then went on to surpass 15GW on 23 April, another first for Great Britain’s electricity system.
Together, these records show that Great Britain’s power system can operate securely with very high levels of renewable and zero‑carbon generation, even during periods of normal daily demand. It also brings the UK closer to operating the grid without fossil fuels for sustained periods in the future, helping to protect consumers from volatile gas prices.
How households can play their part
Record‑breaking days like this also create opportunities for households to use electricity when it is at its greenest.
NESO’s Carbon Intensity App allows householders to see, in near real time, how clean the electricity on the grid is and when the greenest hours of the day are likely to be. The app provides forecasts that act as a helpful guide for timing everyday activities such as:
- Running washing machines or dishwashers
- Charging phones, laptops, or electric vehicles
- Using energy‑hungry appliances when renewable generation is high
The app has been developed in partnership with organisations including WWF, Environmental Defense Fund Europe, and the University of Oxford, and is designed to make system‑level data accessible and practical for everyday use. It can also be linked to smart devices, allowing users to automate energy use so that it coincides with peaks in green energy production.
Find out more about the app and where to download it on the Neso website.
