Comment on Britain’s coal-free spell

Commenting on the news that Britain is set to pass the milestone of two months without using coal to generate electricity Jess Ralston, Analyst at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) said: “Yet another record-breaking coal-free run in Britain highlights the fact that the fuel is simply not needed in a modern energy system. At the same time, the surge in renewable generation and extensive plans to expand the nation’s fleet of cheap and clean energy sources show that there will only be one direction from here.

“Recent tests of an increasingly flexible energy system during sunny bank holidays in lockdown, all of which have been dealt with without issue, show that the grid is ready to move quicker than many thought possible. The question is now whether policymakers keep pace with this to encourage further investment into clean energy sources.

“A focus on new technology such as batteries as the country recovers from the current economic shock will only accelerate these long term trends, and will see us move past the end of coal and begin to look to the end of reliance on other fossil fuels.”