ABSTRACT
The rate of change in British electricity over the forty years from 1970 to 2010 was relatively modest when compared to three major and coincident changes that occurred between 2011 and 2017. This chapter reviews these three changes, including examining how much decarbonisation they have brought and what they might mean for the way the power system will function in the future. The final change in the electricity system since 2011 is also arguably low-carbon and one that is rarely mentioned: a fall in the amount of electricity that Britain consumes. The carbon as a result of electricity generation constantly changes as the electricity mix responds to changes in system demand, power station reliability, dispatch of fossil fuel generators and the output of variable renewables. The underlying changes in carbon emissions which occur over a period of years are much more relevant.
