No Coal for Days

During the last weeks of April the UK set a new record for going without the use of coal for 55 hours. The power plants in the United Kingdom generated their electricity using wind turbines. In this, they actually produced more energy. The UK plans to cease coal use in its power plants by 2025, highlighting the importance it is putting on renewable energy sources. Meanwhile, earlier this year, declines in coal power plant construction in China, India and the U.S. are projected to push the heavily-polluting fuel out of existence — but not fast enough to meet international climate change goals, environmental groups say.

Coal’s dominance as the fuel of choice for generating electricity has been slipping as cheap natural gas and renewable energy sources challenge its centuries-long reign.
Investors push companies to assess their climate risk. Coal accounted for about 70 percent of worldwide power sector emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide in 2016, according to the International Energy Agency estimates.

In the U.S., President Trump’s promotion of coal has had at best a modest impact on the industry. A March 2018 report noted that the U.S. currently has no new coal plants under construction. With the UK’s influence, the U.S will cease to use coal plants.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/apr/24/uk-power-generation-coal-free-gas-renewables-nuclear