The United Kingdom has rapidly developed its wind energy sector over the last two decades to become one of the biggest wind power producers worldwide. As the government aims to accelerate the green transition through greater investment in renewable energies and upgrading the national grid, the U.K.’s wind sector is expected to continue growing substantially in the coming decades. Meanwhile, recent studies suggest that the deployment of more wind power has helped significantly reduce consumer energy bills.

There is approximately 15.7 GW of operational onshore wind power in the U.K., with an increase of 739 MW in 2024 through the development of projects such as the Viking (443MW), Kype Muir Extension (67.2MW), and Broken Cross (43.2MW) windfarms. In 2024, 77 onshore wind projects submitted for planning permission, a slight reduction from the 83 submissions in 2023, but far higher than the 44 submissions in 2022.

The U.K. is expected to achieve 26 GW of onshore wind by 2030, which is 3.1 GW below the target established in the U.K. Government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan (CP30), according to a forecasting model by EnergyPulse. The wind industry also employs around 55,000 people, a figure that is set to double to around 110,000 by the end of the decade.

The U.K. has an operational offshore wind capacity of around 14.7 GW. Construction is currently underway on six projects with a total capacity of 6.3 GW, and three of these projects have a generating capacity of 2.5 GW, with development expected to be completed in 2025. Two more (2.5GW) operators will commence offshore construction this year. There were 14 planning applications for offshore wind projects submitted in 2024, with a total capacity of 15.4 GW, making for a total offshore wind capacity pipeline of 22.85 GW. The U.K.’s offshore wind capacity is expected to reach 41.5 GW by the end of 2030, including 1.2 GW of floating wind capacity.

Wind energy was the U.K.’s largest source of electricity generation in the final quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024, making it the longest stretch of time on record where renewable energy contributed more power generation than that of fossil fuels. In Q1 of 2024, wind energy generation totalled 25.3 terawatt hours (TWh), compared to 23.6 TWh from all fossil fuel sources. Wind power contributed an average of 39.4 percent of total electricity production in this period. This marked a major turning point for the U.K., which has long relied on fossil fuels for power.

In addition to helping the U.K. to achieve a green transition, it seems that wind power is also saving consumers billions, according to a recent study. An analysis from University College London (UCL) found that between 2010 and 2023, wind-generated energy decreased electricity bills by $18.7 billion and reduced the cost of natural gas by $175 billion. When green subsidies of $56.8 billion paid by consumers are factored in, it results in a total reduction of $137 billion in U.K. consumer energy bills over 13 years.