China pledges to build large solar and wind farms in Gobi Desert
China is, by far, the biggest consumer of coal power in the world. While at the moment its energy consumption is 70 percent coal-based — other industrialized nations average around 30 percent, the United States being 25 percent — China apparently sees the value in switching to renewable Read More...
Portugal abandons coal power two years ahead of schedule
One after another, European countries are abandoning coal energy this year. Back in April, both Austria and Sweden shut down their last coal-fired plant, with Sweden doing so two years ahead of schedule. Now another country is saying goodbye to coal two years early: Portugal! This week, Read More...
Britain’s coal-free streak is still going as renewables beat fossil fuels
Back in April, we published a story detailing how the UK had gone 18 days without using coal energy. Now we’re in June—and guess what? That coal-free streak is still going. Midnight on Wednesday marked two full months without burning coal to generate power, an incredible streak for a country Read More...
Britain has now gone over 18 days without using coal energy
Coal’s daily share of Britain’s power has faded away rapidly over the past few years. Whereas coal produced at least 50 percent of Britain’s energy most days of the year in 2012, coal has hardly contributed to the grid this year. In fact, the UK has gone without coal-fired power generation Read More...
Asthma rates plummet in Kentucky as coal plants shut down
Air pollution has long been linked to health issues, especially asthma. Coal-fired power plants are a definitive source of air pollution. But it’s been difficult for scientists to attribute respiratory problems of people living near coal specifically to those coal plants because a host of other Read More...