UK's Current and Future Clean Energy Capacity As UK Heads For Net Zero

15th January 2026

As of the most recent figures, the UK has roughly 30 GW of combined wind power capacity already operational including both onshore and offshore turbines. This milestone was reached in 2024 and means wind alone can meet the power needs of millions of homes.

2. What the Latest Offshore Wind Awards Add

The most recent Contracts for Difference (CfD) Allocation Round 7 awards will add about 8.4 GW of new offshore wind capacity once those projects are built and connected to the grid. This includes both traditional fixed-bottom installations and emerging floating wind technology. The UK government estimates this new capacity can power over 12 million homes.

These 8.4 GW are not all yet online — many of the projects are expected to complete through the late 2020s, with a handful potentially coming online just at or after 2030 due to planning and grid connection timelines.

3. Wider UK Renewable Targets (Clean Power 2030)

The UK government has a national strategy (Clean Power 2030) that sets ambitions for total clean electricity capacity by 2030, which includes the new wind capacity plus other renewables like solar and onshore wind:

Offshore wind: target range of 43-50 GW, far above today's ~31 GW (installed or committed).

Onshore wind: 27–29 GW planned.

Solar power: 45–47 GW planned by 2030.

Flexible power (e.g., batteries): 23–27 GW planned to help balance the grid.

When you count wind, solar, storage, and other renewables together, the UK’s total renewable generation capacity is projected to more than double from today’s levels by 2030 — and continue growing through the 2030s and beyond.

4. Beyond 2030

Longer-term forecasts show continued expansion well into the next decade:

By 2035, UK renewable capacity could reach around 172.7 GW, led by offshore wind (nearly 58 GW), onshore wind, solar, and battery storage.

So What Does This Mean in Plain Terms?

Today - Roughly 30 GW of wind capacity is operational (combined offshore and onshore).

New Projects: The latest CfD awards add 8.4 GW of wind capacity once built.

2030 Vision: UK aims for a much larger clean power grid, with 43–50 GW offshore wind, plus about the same again in solar and onshore wind — roughly 120–130 GW of renewables alone.

2035 Forecast: Renewables could reach 173 GW in total, dramatically changing the UK energy landscape.

What It Means for the UK’s Electricity Mix

Once the new wind projects are online:

Wind will remain the backbone of UK clean energy, providing a large share of electricity generation. Renewables have already supplied record portions of UK electricity in recent years.

Clean power could approach or exceed government goals — boosting energy security, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, and lowering carbon emissions.

Gas plants will still play a role for balancing and peak demand, but their share will shrink as wind, solar, and storage grow.

Grid and connection challenges remain — some offshore wind may come online slightly after 2030 due to infrastructure delays.

Once the latest offshore wind projects are built, the UK will have significantly more clean energy capacity, with wind playing a central role in the transition to low-carbon power. However, to meet official Clean Power 2030 targets — and beyond — continued growth in solar, onshore wind, energy storage, and grid flexibility will be essential.