UK's Coal-Free Grid Days to Become the New Normal

In May 2019, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), the official adviser to the UK government, reported that the UK will need to invest 1%-2% of its GDP to set a legally binding target to cut greenhouse emissions to zero by 2050. In 2015, the UK signed the Paris Agreement to limit the rise in global temperature to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels. However, the UK is forecast to miss its existing carbon targets in 2025 and 2030. Therefore, the CCC recommends that the government set an ambitious goal and lead the fight to zero emissions through aggressive policies and actions. The CCC’s request for urgent action follows a week of high profile protests by the Extinction Rebellion group and schools globally that were inspired by Greta Thunberg. Thunberg, a Swedish teenager, told the UK government its support for fossil fuels and airport expansion is “beyond absurd.”

The Time Is Now

However, just a couple of days after the debate for aggressive clean energy targets heated up, the National Grid Energy System Operator (ESO) reported that the UK set a new record by going coal-free for 100 days. While the majority of this was still contributed by natural gas, which is not necessarily a clean fuel, 22% of the energy generated between May 1 and May 8, 2019 came from renewable sources.

Where Does the UK's Energy Come From?

(Source: National Grid Energy System Operator)

Renewable Energy Growth Could Help the UK Go Coal-Free

This is not the first time the UK has seen renewables contributing significantly to its energy mix. In May 2018, when the UK was hit by a heatwave, solar was the primary energy source generating more than 27% of electricity for the country. Also in 2018, wind generation peaked with reports of the country’s wind farms supplying more electricity than eight of its nuclear power stations combined. In March 2018, wind power provided up to 50% of the UK’s electricity. This year-over-year trend, combined with National Grid ESO’s announcement, shows that renewable energy growth could help the UK go coal-free on its grids and meet its much-needed emissions reductions.

The government plans to phaseout the UK's last coal-fired plants by 2025 to reduce carbon emissions. These decarbonization plans coupled with advances in renewable technologies, new hybrid solutions, new price-based instruments, energy storage, and grid integration can help meet the UK’s emissions reductions and pave the way to achieving the zero-goal target.