Austria shuts down last coal-fired power plant
Austria has shut down its last coal-fired power plant as part of a plan to end the use of fossil fuels for energy production by 2030.
No coal
Coal once powered much of the world’s economy — and now countries, cities, and utilities are moving away from it faster than many expected. This archive tracks plant closures, policy shifts, and clean-energy transitions that are shrinking coal’s role in the global energy mix.
British carbon tax leads to 93% drop in coal-fired electricity
A tax on carbon dioxide emissions in Great Britain, introduced in 2013, has led to the proportion of electricity generated from coal falling from 40% to 3% over six years, according to research led by UCL.
27,000 deaths avoided in the United States by shutting down coal plants
Researchers from the University of California – San Diego found that tens of thousands of deaths had been avoided between 2005 and 2016 by replacing coal plants.
India cancels plans for huge coal power stations as solar energy prices hit record low
India has cancelled plans to build nearly 14 gigawatts of coal-fired power stations – about the same as the total amount in the U.K. – with the price for solar electricity “free falling” to levels once considered impossible.
Europe coal generation collapsed by 19% in first six months of 2019
“2019 may mark the beginning of the end for coal power in Europe,” said Dave Jones, an Electricity Analyst at Sandbag.
Michael Bloomberg launches $500 million campaign to end coal
UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Climate Action Michael Bloomberg has announced Beyond Carbon campaign to close the United States’ fleet of coal plants and halt new gas plants.
Chile to close 8 coal plants by 2024, phase out coal entirely by 2040
The move would slash the share of coal within the electricity grid from 40% to 20% in five years, with a view to phasing out the fuel completely by 2040.
Global investment in coal tumbles by 75% in three years
Estimates suggest 2018 was the first time there has been a reduction in coal-fired power capacity across the world since the industrial revolution.
America’s renewable energy set to surpass coal for the first month ever in April 2019
This turning point is decades in the making — not a policy target, but an economic reality arriving ahead of schedule. Wind and solar costs have dropped so sharply that 74% of the U.S. coal fleet could now be replaced by renewables while still saving customers money. April’s seasonal conditions give renewables a boost they don’t always enjoy, and annual parity remains years away. But the direction is no longer in doubt — and as utilities retire coal plants early, this milestone signals to energy markets worldwide that the crossover isn’t hypothetical anymore.
RWE abandons all present & future coal plans
RWE, one of Germany’s “big four” utilities, has cancelled plans for the BoA plus lignite coal-fired power station and promised to cease investing in new coal generation capacity.