Despite plowing billions into wind and solar subsidies — enabling renewables projects to produce record amounts of power in 2012 — the UK is struggling to "green up" its electricity mix amid a switch away from relatively expensive gas to cheaper coal. Latest data from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) show coal replaced gas as the top electricity provider last year, accounting for 39.3% of the total, with gas on 27.5% and renewables on 11.3%. In 2011, gas was dominant with a 39.9% share, with coal on 29.5%. Low gas utilization rates have prompted utilities to mothball or put unprofitable gas units on ice until they are needed. Germany's E.On and RWE have sworn not to build more gas-fired units in the UK until demand picks up, even though 23 gigawatts of capacity has won planning permits (WGI Mar.20'13; WGI Sep.19'12).
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