The two pie charts provide a breakdown of the amount of electricity generated in Scotland from different energy sources twenty years ago and last year.
Overall, it is clear that coal remained the main source of electricity in both years, although its share fell noticeably. In contrast, the proportions of nuclear and renewable energy increased, showing a slow move towards cleaner energy sources.
Twenty years ago, coal accounted for the largest share of electricity generation at 41.4%, followed by gas at 22.3% and nuclear power at 19.6%. Hydro natural flow made up 8.7%, while hydro pumped storage, oil, and other renewables contributed much smaller amounts at 3.1%, 2.1%, and 2.8% respectively.
By last year, the figure for coal had dropped to 32.7%, but it still produced the most electricity. Nuclear energy rose significantly to 26.4%, overtaking gas, which fell slightly to 21.7%. Other renewables nearly doubled to 5.1%, while oil increased to 4%. In contrast, hydro natural flow declined a little to 7.9%.
In summary, although fossil fuels such as coal and gas continued to dominate electricity generation in Scotland, nuclear and renewable sources became more important over the period.