After the last coal generator came off the National Grid Electricity System at 1.24pm on 1 May, Britain has had its first week without using coal to generate electricity for the first time since 1982.
The pressure to increase renewable energy sources and high international coal prices have led to the decrease in fuel usage.
Director of National Grid ESO, Fintan Slye, believes that the UK’s electricity system could run with zero carbon by 2025, far surpassing the current target of net-zero emissions by 2050.
Although coal-fired power will still act as backup energy at times of high demand, there is hope that the increasing introduction of renewable energy sources will soon make coal redundant.
