On September 30, 2024, the United Kingdom—birthplace of industrial coal-fired power—officially retired its last coal-fired power station, marking the end of an era when coal once provided 95% of the nation’s total energy demand. In Episode 10 of Power Play Season 2, host Paul Browning traces the U.K.’s coal-dominated past and examines the global outlook for coal consumption in the electric power sector. Hear why some analysts predict we may see peak global CO2 emissions as early as this year, and learn what the end of U.K. coal tells us about the broader trajectory of the energy transition—and the hard truths that still remain.
Key Topics
The U.K.’s historical reliance on coal and its journey to zero coal-fired plants
How this pivotal closure might signal a peak in global CO2 emissions
The global outlook for coal consumption in power generation—who’s phasing it out and who’s still reliant
Potential effects on renewables, natural gas, and emerging clean energy technologies
Reflections on the energy transition’s speed and the challenges yet to be overcome
Join us for an in-depth look at coal’s rise and fall in the U.K.—and what this landmark shift means for a future powered by cleaner, more sustainable energy sources. Subscribe to Power Play for real-world stories of change from the front lines of the global energy transition.
