The U.K. Just Went 55 Hours Without Using Coal for the First Time in History
Source: Bloomberg News
By Jesper Starn and Lars Paulsson
April 19, 2018, 6:56 AM EDT
Coal, which fueled the worlds biggest economies for more than a century, is increasingly losing out to renewables.
The latest example of how one of the dirtiest fossil fuels is being squeezed out of the market came this week in Britain, which went for a record 55 hours without its any of its power plants producing electricity by burning coal.
No coal was used for power generation by stations in the U.K. between 10:25 p.m. in London on Monday until 5:10 a.m. on Thursday, according to grid data compiled by Bloomberg. At the same time wind turbines produced more power.
The U.K. was an early adopter of renewable energy and has more offshore wind turbines installed than any other country. It also has fields of solar panels that are meeting more and more demand as old traditional power plants close permanently. The government aims to switch off all coal plants by 2025 and has given renewables priority access to the grid. The previous record of 40 coal-free hours was set in October.
Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-04-19/u-k-goes-a-record-55-hours-without-coal-as-clean-power-expands
Aristus
(66,388 posts)so some hillbillies out in the provinces don't throw a fit...
Botany
(70,516 posts)The utility companies have spent billions in switching their power plants from
coal to natural gas because it is cheaper, easier to use, and much easier on the
equipment too and they aren't going back to coal. Down deep the coal miners
and their families know this too.
mahatmakanejeeves
(57,489 posts)is it necessary to refer to people using this language?
Meanwhile, we artificially prolong our coal industry so some hillbillies out in the provinces don't throw a fit...
Hint: no.
Also, you don't have to drive too far to get to this:
Centralia Big Hanaford power plant is a major coal-fired power plant supplemented with newer natural-gas-fired units. It is located east of Centralia, Washington, United States in Lewis County. As of 2006, it is the only commercial coal-fired power plant in the State of Washington. A bill signed in 2011 by governor Christine Gregoire, the TransAlta Energy Transition Bill, will result in one boiler being shut down by the end of 2020 and the other by the end of 2025.
From 2014:
01/01/2014 | Dr. Robert Peltier, PE
Completing the difficult transition to 100% Powder River Basin coal earned TransAltas Centralia plant in southwest Washington some well-deserved recognition.
The Powder River Basin Coal Users Group (PRBCUG) recognized TransAltas two-unit, 1,340-MW Centralia Complex with its 2013 Plant of the Year (Large Plant category) award at its 2013 Annual Meeting, collocated with the ELECTRIC POWER Conference & Exhibition last May (Figure 1). The plant was recognized for its excellent safety and dust control program, its completion of extensive boiler upgrades and modifications, and its expansion in rail operations to handle PRB coal.
....
TransAlta owns a fleet of 75 plants concentrated in Canada with 22% of its net capacity located in the Northwest. TransAltas U.S. headquarters is in Olympia, Wash. The largest of TransAltas U.S. assets is its Centralia Complex, in southwest Washington. Unit 1 entered commercial operation in September 1971 and Unit 2 followed 12 months later (Figure 2).
2. Winning combination. TransAltas 1,340-MW Centralia Complex was the PRBCUGs 2013 Plant of the Year (Large Plant). Courtesy: TransAlta
"PRB" is Powder River Basin. The coal burned at Centralia comes from the Powder River Basin in northeast Wyoming.
From 2011:
Stop Washington state coal-energy production
Steve Ringman/The Seattle Times
Canadian mining company TransAlta still operates this Centralia coal plant.
That power plant is a weird place. I've gone car-camping nearby on a couple of occasions. It's in the middle of nowhere, and it's all lit up at night.
Aristus
(66,388 posts)Fortunately, we have the power at the state level In Washington to reduce dependence on coal power, and not a lot of people agitating for more of it, unlike West Virginia.
I find it hard to think of nice things to say about people, such as those in WV, who were offered free job-retraining due to the dying coal industry, and who turned it down because Trump was going to 'bring back coal'.
Ignorance I can deal with, and even have some sympathy for. Willful stupidity is something I hold in contempt.
Duppers
(28,125 posts)What's wrong with being called a "hillbilly"?
Yep, it's often used as a derogatory term for willfully ignorant folks living in squalor in hills and mountains, much like the term redneck. However, some of us live in gorgeous mountains with beautiful vistas in nice homes with decent schools and still describe ourselves as hillbillies. I don't mind the term...applied either way.
Aristus
(66,388 posts)We are who we are because we can empathize with people living in grinding, dehumanizing poverty, and want to help any way we can.
But they not only give their political loyalty to those who exploit them for profit and power, but they hate and despise us precisely because of our desire and ability to help those in distress.
It just doesn't make much sense to me.
I hear about the vaunted independence and insularity of mountain people. And we can ascribe their reluctance to accept help to that. But as a group, they seem perfectly willing to seek help from those who have no intention of providing anything but lip service to their concerns.
Duppers
(28,125 posts)Trump's rating is now 75% among evangelicals and who lives in those hills and mountains? Evangelicals!
I HATE those churches.
The only thing they are questioning is the $130,000 payment to Stormy.
The Evangelical leadership wants a meeting with Trump to explain that payment. If that happens, of course he will lie and they will believe him because, imo, they've never been with a hooker who didn't lie.
Bayard
(22,100 posts)Or perhaps, "Hill Jill".
(From my nice little log cabin in the wooded hills).
I would love to get off the grid, maybe with solar at some point in the future.
Duppers
(28,125 posts)I had two wonderful married gay friends, DUers HillWilliam and HillbillyBob, who were very proud of being "Hill Persons."
Bernardo de La Paz
(49,007 posts)The ones in US coal country.
If there ever was a coal county it would be England which had the first Industrial Revolution and it was based on coal.
packman
(16,296 posts)England's love affair with coal is historical and has deep roots. Remarkable progress , bravo to the Brits
SWBTATTReg
(22,133 posts)Brits should be proud of themselves, and rightfully so. With an island economy, and little petro found (w/ exception of North Sea), these guys have lessened the demand for coal in their country, while using renewable energy sources, wind, solar, etc.
I'm curious if they (British government program(s)) paid to retrain all of their former coal workers (if workers are able to, or take job buyouts since demand is down significantly)?
This sounds like something that the United States could emulate...
Wow, this is amazing...
Botany
(70,516 posts)n/t
Plucketeer
(12,882 posts)all the more for U.S! You betcha!
PatSeg
(47,501 posts)flibbitygiblets
(7,220 posts)trump supporters are not just willfully ignorant, they actually enjoy shitting in their own bed if it pisses of those damn libruls. Happily. And then blame us for the fact their bed is full of shit. And chasten us for calling them stupid.
DavidDvorkin
(19,479 posts)began in England and was powered by coal.
The article doesn't mention it, but I think the UK has achieved this partly by moving some power plants to natural gas. That does make the achievement less impressive in terms of the carbon impact, but it's still a very good thing.
LastLiberal in PalmSprings
(12,586 posts)Isn't that Donnie Two Scoops' solution to everything? He's the bully he's always been, only with missiles, bombs and nukes.
How dare the rest of the world think global warming is a thing and then choose to do something about it? Who cares about evidence when you are a True Believer?
Grins
(7,218 posts)Meanwhile, here in the United States where the Secretaries of Energy and EPA consider coal, "cutting-edge 21st Century technology"....
Dorn
(523 posts)Nope their unemployment is ~4%.
LiberalLovinLug
(14,174 posts)A film that was so powerful I watched as a child.