Environment & Energy

mahatmakanejeeves

(57,489 posts) Sun May 22, 2016, 06:59 PM May 2016

The day coal power dropped out of the national grid for the first time in more than 100 years

The day coal power dropped out of the national grid for the first time in more than 100 years

From 1882 until 10 May this year, coal has powered the nation. Could the UK be one of the first countries to end coal power altogether?

Hazel Sheffield
Saturday 21 May 2016 13:47 BST

The Government is planning to phase out coal energy completely by 2025 PA

At midnight on 10 May 2016, the UK hit an energy milestone. For the first time in over 100 years, the amount of coal being used by the national grid to power Britain’s kettles, computer and televisions fell to zero. And then it stayed at zero for four hours.

Two days later, this time for five hours, coal usage fell to zero again. Nuclear, wind, hydro and solar energy powered the national grid in coal’s place. By 13 May, the needle had hit zero four times, for a total of around 25 hours.

This historic turning point came on the eve of a Government consultation on phasing out coal energy completely by 2025. ... “As part of our plans for a cleaner energy future, we are one of the first countries to announce our intention to consult on ending unabated coal by 2025,” a spokesperson for the Department for Energy and Climate Change told The Independent. “We will issue this consultation shortly.”

Though it was celebrated by green campaigners, zero coal happened entirely by chance. Some coal plants happened to be out for maintenance, so the national grid replaced coal with other sorts of energy. “We are generation neutral and cannot be seen to favour one type of generation over another,” a National Grid spokesperson said, “therefore this wasn’t planned by us and is merely a coincidence.”

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The day coal power dropped out of the national grid for the first time in more than 100 years (Original Post) mahatmakanejeeves May 2016 OP

Happy day libodem May 2016 #1

Their electricity rate is about 22 cents per kwh Major Nikon May 2016 #2

Part of the problem is "competition". mwooldri May 2016 #3

libodem

(19,288 posts)

1. Happy day

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Sun May 22, 2016, 08:35 PM

May 2016

For all the mountain tops from all the mountain tops.

Major Nikon

(36,827 posts)

2. Their electricity rate is about 22 cents per kwh

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Sun May 22, 2016, 09:22 PM

May 2016

Mine is about 1/3rd of that.

The UK doesn't have the easily obtainable coal stores the US does. So it's not that difficult for them to say they are abandoning it as a source. We could do the same thing here. The challenge is getting people to accept electricity bills that are 2-3 times higher. That's not to say the other costs associated with coal aren't ultimately higher, just that you have to get people on board with swapping one for the other.

mwooldri

(10,303 posts)

3. Part of the problem is "competition".

Reply to Major Nikon (Reply #2)

Sun May 22, 2016, 10:12 PM

May 2016

The Tories split up and sold off the electricity generating companies, the national grid, and the regional electricity boards that supplied electric to the end consumer. Then they were all allowed to compete with each other. It isn't unusual for people to get the best price for gas from the legacy electric board company and the best price for electric from British Gas (the legacy gas supply company).

While there are a few things wrong with North Carolina, one thing it does have going for it is that you have no choice of who supplies your electric. As such, it is regulated. Sure we do have McCrony (Duke-Energy) as Governor...

Many people are on "Economy 7" where the "day" rate is on average 24-25 cents an hour at present prices and exchange rates and the night rate is on average 10 cents an hour. Heat is stored in electric storage heaters charged up with the cheaper rate electric, as is the hot water and many people have their washing machines and dryers on timers to run at nights. I remember having an advanced version of Economy 7 where we had three electric rates, but the electric storage heaters and hot water heaters were on a separate circuit controlled by the meter and we got a "top up" in the day for the storage heaters.

But yes energy costs for residential power per kilowatt are cheaper in the US than the UK. Plus the UK coal mines have all shut down... the coal fired power stations source some of their coal from the USA, though it's generally Germany and Poland.

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