The Ratcliffe-on-Soar plant was the last surviving coal-burning power station in a country that birthed the Industrial Revolution and fed it with coal.
Britain, the nation that launched a global addiction to coal 150 years ago, is shutting down its last coal-burning power station on Monday.
That makes Britain first among the world's major, industrialized economies to wean itself off coal — all the more symbolic because it was also the first to burn tremendous amounts of it to fuel the Industrial Revolution, inspiring the rest of the world to follow suit.
"The birthplace of coal power is turning its back on coal forever," said Matt Webb, an associate director at the London-based research and advocacy group, E3G.
On Monday, in the middle of England, the end of Britain's coal era will be marked by the closure of the 2,000-megawatt Ratcliffe-on-Soar facility. Uniper, the power company that operated the plant, said the 750-acre site would be converted to a "low-carbon energy hub."
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https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/30/climate/britain-last-coal-power-plant.html?smid=em-share
Britain, the nation that launched a global addiction to coal 150 years ago, is shutting down its last coal-burning power station on Monday.
That makes Britain first among the world's major, industrialized economies to wean itself off coal — all the more symbolic because it was also the first to burn tremendous amounts of it to fuel the Industrial Revolution, inspiring the rest of the world to follow suit.
"The birthplace of coal power is turning its back on coal forever," said Matt Webb, an associate director at the London-based research and advocacy group, E3G.
On Monday, in the middle of England, the end of Britain's coal era will be marked by the closure of the 2,000-megawatt Ratcliffe-on-Soar facility. Uniper, the power company that operated the plant, said the 750-acre site would be converted to a "low-carbon energy hub."
...
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/30/climate/britain-last-coal-power-plant.html?smid=em-share
Way to go Britain! Someone has to be the first so that others will follow. Job loss seems to be an issue debated here in the U.S. when it comes to the discussion of stopping coal use. If we can help communities reliant upon these jobs and localize the implementation of renewable energy plants (wind, solar) maybe resistance will dwindle. I am not sure of the cost to implement such things, but as Britain has shown, it can be done.
ReplyDeleteIt's great to see a country that has struggled from the effects of coal plants move on from them to a healthier future for coming generations. This is a huge step that hopefully more countries will follow.
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