Britain is done with coal power

[Safe-Keeper]

Just wanted to share this good news.

UK to close last coal power station after 142 years

The UK's last coal power station, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, is due to end operations on Monday.

www.bbc.co.uk

The UK is about to stop producing any electricity from burning coal - ending its 142-year reliance on the fossil fuel.

The country's last coal power station, at Ratcliffe-on-Soar, finishes operations on Monday after running since 1967.

This marks a major milestone in the country's ambitions to reduce its contribution to climate change. Coal is the dirtiest fossil fuel producing the most greenhouse gases when burnt.

Minister for Energy Michael Shanks said: "We owe generations a debt of gratitude as a country."

 

[Norman Alexander]

If Restore had their way, they would be burning the endless stream of Muslim immigrants pouring across the Channel instead.

 

[LDE1976]

If Restore had their way, they would be burning the endless stream of Muslim immigrants pouring across the Channel instead.

They'd probably try to generate electricity by burning wind turbines and solar panels.

 

[Dave Rogers]

Minister for Energy Michael Shanks said: "We owe generations a debt of gratitude as a country."

Didn't realise Dr. Daniel Jackson was our energy minister. Do we really have alternative energy sources, or did he just get Carter to give us a naquadah generator?

Dave

 

[junkshop]

Good, although I fear it will become even more difficult and/or expensive to source coal tar shampoo now. What with this and the somewhat spicy Levantine situation, now is not a great time for the psoriatic.

So it goes.

 

[Gord_in_Toronto]

Canada is almost there too. Only a couple left and plans for the last to be gone by 2030.

CER – Market Snapshot: Canadian coal-fired electricity generation is rapidly being replaced by low and non-emitting energy sources

Market Snapshot: Canadian coal-fired electricity generation is rapidly being replaced by low and non-emitting energy sources

www.cer-rec.gc.ca

 

[Trebuchet]

Woke! Commies! Wind kills whales!@@@

ETA: That was supposed to be !!!, but it's almost better.

 

[angrysoba]

Woke! Commies! Wind kills whales!@@@

ETA: That was supposed to be !!!, but it's almost better.

Wind kills Wales (coalmining economy that is!)

 

[Ranb]

Trump is trying to bring coal back in the USA.

Coal Power is Rebounding in the U.S. Here’s How it Happened

Rising natural gas prices, an explosion of new data centers, and EPA policy changes are giving old coal plants new life.

time.com

In February, President Trump was presented a trophy proclaiming him the “Undisputed Champion of Beautiful Clean Coal.” He received it surrounded by more than a dozen coal executives and miners during a White House ceremony, just after ordering the Department of Defense to purchase billions of dollars’ worth of power from coal plants and announcing that the Department of Energy would allocate $175 million in funding for six projects to upgrade coal plants in four states.

Before 2007, coal provided over 50% of U.S. electricity. In 2024, it provided only 15%—a 64% decline. By 2022, coal emissions had fallen 57% from their peak in 2005.

 

[Helen]

What? Get rid of Beautiful Clean Coal??? You people are crazy!

 

[Gulliver Foyle]

Just wanted to share this good news.

UK to close last coal power station after 142 years

The UK's last coal power station, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, is due to end operations on Monday.

www.bbc.co.uk

The UK is about to stop producing any electricity from burning coal - ending its 142-year reliance on the fossil fuel.

The country's last coal power station, at Ratcliffe-on-Soar, finishes operations on Monday after running since 1967.

This marks a major milestone in the country's ambitions to reduce its contribution to climate change. Coal is the dirtiest fossil fuel producing the most greenhouse gases when burnt.
Minister for Energy Michael Shanks said: "We owe generations a debt of gratitude as a country."

The Beeb got that wrong, peat burning is dirtier. And I wouldn't be surprised if bunker oil, used in the shipping industry, is too.

 

[lionking]

Australia will not be far behind. Mind you, we will continue exporting the stuff.

 

[jeremyp]

The Beeb got that wrong, peat burning is dirtier. And I wouldn't be surprised if bunker oil, used in the shipping industry, is too.

What do they mean by "dirty"? Are they conflating all pollution with greenhouse gas production? Are you? If you are, it's not necessarily a bad thing. The problems of other forms of pollution definitely shouldn't be neglected.

Peat is very inefficient but also very small scale. There are no peat fired power stations as far as I know.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

draining wetlands is a big contributor to global warming.

 

[P.J. Denyer]

draining wetlands is a big contributor to global warming.

I was about to make the same comment (I happen to be reading about it at the moment), in the UK CO2 release from drainage of upland bogs and heather burning, for grouse estates, and the draining of the Cambridgeshire Fens is a significant problem that's only just starting to be really looked at.

 

[zooterkin]

The Beeb got that wrong, peat burning is dirtier.

Citation required.

 

[Orphia Nay]

Thanks for the good news, @Safe-Keeper and @Gord_in_Toronto

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Woke! Commies! Wind kills whales!@@@

If the whales could be taught to avoid wind farms, like the one southwest of Chicago, there would be more positive press about the farms.

Or something.

 

[Safe-Keeper]

Thanks for the good news, @Safe-Keeper and @Gord_in_Toronto

 

[P.J. Denyer]

If the whales could be taught to avoid wind farms, like the one southwest of Chicago, there would be more positive press about the farms.

Or something.

We've got quite a few windmills here in Oxfordshire and I've never seen a whale near them, presumably we have some kind of ultrasonic repellent device to keep them away.