Coal power made up less than 1% of the UK’s electricity system last quarter

We know that coal power has had a long descent in the UK since it became the country’s main source of energy during the Industrial Revolution, but to see just how far it has fallen is pretty astounding. According to new government data, energy produced by the UK’s most polluting power plants made up an average of 0.7 percent of the total in the second quarter of this year.

The amount of coal used to power the electricity grid fell by almost two-thirds compared with the same months last year—a new record low in the UK. The falling usage of coal, along with the fact that three major energy companies are planning to close coal-fired power plants in the UK this year, show us that Britain is on track to phase out coal-fired power generation entirely by the government’s target date of 2025.