§ Mr. MacleanTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will list(a) the growth rate in and (b) the percentage of power supplied by each renewable energy source in each of the last five years; [81863]
(2) if he will list the types of renewable energy sources currently providing power and the contribution in percentage terms each source makes to the United Kingdom's total energy supply in the most recent year for which figures are available. [81784]
§ Mr. BattleThe types of renewable energy sources generating electricity in each of the last five years (1997 is the last year for which data are available) are given in the table. The percentages alongside each are the contribution made to total UK electricity supply. To set the figures in context, actual generation of electricity from each source is also given for 1997:
The information requested on the growth rate of renewable energy sources used to generate electricity in the United Kingdom is as follows:
147WAs is said in the discussion paper "New and renewable energy, Prospects for the 21st century", we expect the proportion of electricity from renewable sources to rise to 5 per cent. by 2003. The Government are working towards a target of renewable energy providing 10 per cent. of UK electricity as soon as possible and hope to achieve this by 2010.