I was pleased to see that the UK didn't use coal to generate electricity for a full day last month – April 21st. Climate Action said that this was "the first time since the Industrial Revolution" which is hardly the case, although it was the first time ever.
It seems that low electricity demand and a prolonged period of high winds meant the grid completed 24 hours without using coal. Cordi O'Hara, Director, UK System Operator at National Grid, said it was "a watershed moment in how our energy system is changing”, although he also got confused about the industrial revolution point. The National Grid expects more coal-free days throughout the summer, and days when, by the early 2020s, burning coal will become increasingly rare.
I wonder how long it will be before gas-burning becomes as rare. I fancy I'll not live to see it which is a pity as it should be coming sooner rather than later if we're to undo the climate damage we've brought on. Personally, I was pleased that the Semington A power plant has played a small part in this revolution – in fact a very small part, but we do the best we can with what little we have.
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Note
The first coal-fired generations of electricity were in 1866 in Germany (Siemens), in 1882 in the USA (Edison). In the UK, according to Carbon Brief, it was also in 1882. This was over 100 years after the Industrial Revolution got under way.
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