Britain has hit a new record for coal-free energy generation. From 17 May 2019 coal was not used to generate any electricity in Britain for two weeks - this is the longest Britain has been 'coal-free' since the 1990s.
In this two week period, gas made up nearly 40% of Britain's electricity generation, with nuclear at 20%, wind 13%, and other sources accounting for the remainder.
The director of the National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO), Fintan Slye, said that such coal-free periods would be a new normal.
He commented: "As more and more renewables come onto the system, we're seeing things progress at an astonishing rate. 2018 was our greenest year to date, and so far, 2019 looks like it has the potential to beat it."
Mr Slye also confirmed the British record for solar power in May, when on 14 May Britain generated a quarter of its energy from solar power.
Government plans are in place to phase out UK coal-fired plants by 2025 in order to reduce carbon emission, however Mr Slye noted there was still a lot of work to do.
