Gas and the current generation mix in England and Wales. I

Since the lifting of the ban on burning gas to generate electricity in the early 1990s, there has been an enormous increase in the amount of electricity produced from gas. At the present time, almost one-third of the UK´s total electricity demand is met by gas-fired power stations. This article looks at the situation in the competitive mid-merit market and makes some predictions on the likely generation mix serving that part of the market. It goes on to describe the outcome of the review of energy sources for power generation, which Merz and McLellan undertook for the UK Department of Trade and Industry in the early part of 1998. Finally, it examines the situation with regard to proposed new gas-fired generation projects.