UK coal phase-out - what comes next?
British coal-fired steam engines fuelled the Industrial Revolution from the late 18th century. On Monday the UK took its last coal-fired power plant off the grid, making it the first major industrialised country to completely phase out this climate-damaging energy source. Commentators take different views on what should come next.
Don't get rid of gas and nuclear yet
The Times makes the case for a diverse energy mix:
“Wind and solar generation has quadrupled since 2012, a remarkable achievement for a country that has in recent decades lost faith in its capacity for grand projects. Ridding Britain of fossil fuel dependency is a good thing. But the new government's doctrinaire drive to expunge even gas from the grid by 2030 carries enormous risks. The grid is nowhere near ready for this revolution in terms of distribution and storage. ... Diversity is key to energy security yet successive governments have sorely neglected nuclear, an obvious failsafe should the weather fail to co-operate. Extending the role of gas beyond 2030 is a prudent safeguard against blackouts.”
Dare to go green
Nuclear power is no alternative, The Frankfurter Rundschau insists:
“The Hinkley Point project, which is already under construction, will supply electricity that is far more expensive than green energy. If it is done well, the German model combining the phasing out of nuclear energy and coal could be more favourable. But the top priority is that the newly industrialising and developing countries also switch to phasing out coal as quickly as possible. First and foremost China, which is still building new power plants. If they don't change course, the joy over the end of the coal era in the UK will be of little use.”