Stormy weather drives British wind power to new record – Tech Digest

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A series of powerful winter storms pushed British wind generation to an all-time high in January 2026, according to a new analysis by energy think tank Ember.

Data from the National Energy System Operator (NESO) reveals that wind power produced 10.6 TWh of electricity during the month, surpassing the previous record of 10.4 TWh set in December 2023.

The surge in clean energy was largely driven by the arrival of Storm Goretti and Storm Chandra, which battered British shores throughout January.

This record-breaking output allowed the UK to curb its reliance on fossil fuels significantly. Gas generation fell to 9.1 TWh: a 17% drop compared to January 2025, despite overall electricity demand rising by 2% to 29 TWh.

“Windy January weather may not be everyone’s cup of tea, yet it helped British wind power to set a new clean power record and keep expensive gas generation low,” said Josie Murdoch, Energy Analyst at Ember.

The environmental achievement also provided a substantial economic boost. Ember estimates that if the additional wind power had been generated by fossil gas instead, it would have cost the UK approximately £164 million in gas purchases for the month of January alone.

The milestone follows a record-breaking offshore wind auction (AR7), which recently secured 8.4 GW of new capacity across England and Scotland. Britain currently maintains a wind capacity of 33 GW, with an additional 4.7 GW forecast to come online by the end of 2026.

Combined with solar, renewable generation reached a new monthly peak of 11.1 TWh. As the UK continues to expand its green infrastructure, analysts suggest these records will become increasingly frequent, further insulating the economy from volatile international gas prices.

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