As reported yesterday, the UK has broken records.
For the first time since 1882, coal power has not been used to make electricity.
The increased use of renewable energy means coal power stations are required less when the demand is low. On the 1st May at 1.24pm, the last coal generator was able to be taken off the system and we are currently still sitting at zero. Most of the country’s power has been generated from combined cycle gas turbines. Renewable, nuclear, and solar power have also contributed a significant amount to be able to meet the demand.
This landmark occasion comes shortly after David Attenborough’s latest BBC documentary “Climate Change: The Facts”, was aired on the 18th April 2019. He said: “It may sound frightening, but the scientific evidence is that if we have not taken dramatic action within the next decade, we could face irreversible damage to the natural world and the collapse of our societies.”
The UK government pledged to phase out all electricity supplied by coal power by 2025. In a statement, Greg Clark, the business and energy secretary, gave praise to the momentous achievement.
“Going a week without coal for the first time since the Industrial Revolution is a huge leap forward in our world-leading efforts to reduce emissions, but we’re not stopping there.
“To combat climate change and seize on the opportunities of clean growth, we’re phasing out coal entirely by 2025 and building a cleaner, greener energy system.
“We lead the world when it comes to tackling climate change and we want to carry on breaking records, which is why we’ve put foundations in place to allow our renewables sector to thrive.”
He also added: “We’re now on a path to become the first major economy to legislate for net zero emissions.”
How can we help?
You can find out more on how to reduce your carbon footprint, read our How Do I Reduce Carbon and Business Energy Costs? blog post.
If you are interested in switching your business’ energy and going green, we can help you. All we require from you is a copy of your latest bill. We can then start the process of reviewing your energy spend and look at how you can reduce your carbon footprint.
Send your energy bills to firstname.lastname@example.org or call us today to find out more.