Great Britain's Coal-Free Fortnight and Energy Transition:
1. Record-Breaking Coal-Free Period:
- Two weeks without coal-powered electricity, ending May 31, 2019
- Previous record was 90 hours in April 2019
2. Shift in Energy Sources:
- Coal provided 40% of UK's electricity in 2013, now drastically reduced
- Increase in renewables: wind provided up to 35%, solar up to 21%
- Natural gas has largely replaced coal
3. Factors Driving the Transition:
- End-of-life for old coal plants
- EU regulations on emissions
- Government subsidies for renewables
- Carbon pricing making coal more expensive than gas
- UK's unique position due to 1990s 'dash for gas'
4. Renewable Energy Progress:
- UK leads in offshore wind power installation
- Cost of offshore wind halved since 2015, now cheaper than new gas and nuclear
5. Challenges and Future Outlook:
- Need for grid flexibility to accommodate intermittent renewables
- Potential energy gap from decommissioning of nuclear plants
- Exploration of new technologies: flywheels, supercapacitors for energy storage
- Goal to phase out gas as well as coal
6. Historical Context:
- First commercial coal-fired power station opened in London in 1882
- UK aims for zero-carbon electricity system by 2025
This summary highlights Great Britain's significant progress in reducing coal dependence, the factors driving this change, and the challenges ahead in further decarbonizing the electricity system. It emphasizes the rapid growth of renewables while noting the continuing role of natural gas in the energy mix.