It’s been over 130 years since the last time Britain went without coal-fired electricity for seven consecutive days, but that is what took place last week in the heartland of the industrial revolution.
According to the National Grid Electricity System Operator (NGESO), the last coal generator came off the system just before 1.30pm on May 1st and no coal-fired electricity entered the network between then and Wednesday last week, marking the first coal-less week in Britain since the reign of Queen Victoria.
Since 2013, reductions in coal use across the United Kingdom have slashed electricity generation emissions in half, with numerous power plants permanently shutting down in recent years. This reflects a government commitment to completely phasing out coal-fired power by 2025 in an effort to address climate change.
Fintan Slye, director of NGESO, said he believed by 2025 the country could be run not only coal-free, but entirely carbon-free, with the right policies and infrastructure investment.
“Zero-carbon operation of the electricity system by 2025 means a fundamental change to how our system was designed to operate – integrating newer technologies right across the system – from large-scale offshore wind to domestic-scale solar panels to increased demand-side participation, using new smart digital systems to manage and control the system in real-time,” Slye told The Guardian.
Burning coal to generate electricity produces huge amounts of greenhouse gases, which are the primary cause of human-induced climate change. To limit global warming to 1.5°C and avoid the worst impacts of climate change, the UN has recommended a complete phase-out of coal by 2050.
Positive Action
- Australia is one of the few developed nations in the world that have not committed to targets for phasing out coal. If you hope to see a coal-free Australia in the coming decades, make your voice heard with your political representatives.
- If you work for a business looking to reduce its carbon footprint and reliance on coal-power, check out the range of clean energy solutions available through Planet Ark Power.
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Positive Environment News has been compiled using publicly available information. Planet Ark does not take responsibility for the accuracy of the original information and encourages readers to check the references before using this information for their own purposes.