Climate Changed
U.K.'s Coal-Free Week Shows How Cleaner Energy Is Taking Over
- Britain plans to exit the fuel in power generation by 2025
- Over 1,000 coal-free hours seen in the U.K. this year
Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg
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The U.K. has now gone more than a week without using any of its coal-fired power stations, yet another record, and a sign that life without the dirtiest fossil fuel might not be that far away.
Great Britain has quickly moved away from using coal as one of its main power sources by shutting plants and installing more offshore wind turbines than any other country. The fuel’s share in the energy mix has dropped to just 5 percent from 40 percent six years ago. This year has already seen more than 1,000 coal-free hours, or about a third of the total.