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UK has first week without burning coal for electricity

3 years 10 months 3 weeks ago Wednesday, May 08 2019 May 8, 2019 May 08, 2019 7:47 AM May 08, 2019 in News
Source: Associated Press

LONDON (AP) - Britain has gone a week without burning coal for electricity for the first time since the 19th century.

Power operator National Grid says coal hasn't contributed to the U.K. electricity mix since the afternoon of May 1. The landmark was reached two years after Britain had its first coal-free day since the Industrial Revolution.

FintanSlye, director of National Grid Electricity System Operator, said Wednesday that coal-free power would become the "new normal" as Britain generates more power from wind, solar and other renewable sources. The U.K. also relies heavily on natural gas and nuclear energy.

The government says Britain will eliminate coal from its power supply by 2025. It has set a deadline of 2050 to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions altogether. Environmentalists say that is not soon enough.

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