HC Deb 31 October 1990 vol 178 cc521-2W
Mr. Dobson

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy further to his answer of 22 October to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras,Official Report, column 15, what proportion of electricity generated in England and Wales in 1989 was generated from coal, oil, gas, nuclear and renewables.

Mr. Wakeham

The proportions of fuel used to generate electricity in 1989 in England and Wales were as follows:

Fuel used in electricity generation1
Per cent. share
Coal 76
Nuclear 18
Oil2 7
1 Coverage relates to those generating companies formerly comprising the public electricity supply system in England and

Wales: National Power, PowerGen, Nuclear Electric, National Grid Company, Midlands Electricity and South Western Electricity.

2 Including oil used in gas turbines and for lighting up coal fired boilers, and orimulsion.

The amount of other fuel sources—natural flow hydro, and natural gas—accounted for less than 0.1 per cent. of the total.