first published week of: 11/14/2016
After a year in which solar generated more power than coal for six months, the country has realized a transition to clean energy won't be so hard.
Good news from Britain. Even its Brexit-drunk ministers understand that there is a new future for energy: The U.K. government says it will phase out coal power. After a banner year for renewables, in which solar outstripped coal generation for six full months, the country will now ditch coal altogether by 2025.
Coal is the dirtiest of power sources, carbon-wise, producing double the CO2 for a unit of electricity than natural gas. "Last year coal accounted for just under a quarter of electricity generation and the eight stations that remain operational today represent around 15% of Great Britain’s total generating capacity," states a newly published paper detailing the phase-out.
The goal is to phase out coal smoothly, while supporting renewables to take its place. But the move isn't entirely altruistic. While the government paper begins by talking about honoring commitments to the Paris agreement, the real reasons for such a swift ditching of coal soon become clear: The U.K.'s active coal stations are, one average, 47 years old, and all but three of them are operating beyond their intended lifespan. continued…