UK energy transition continues with closure of 2GW coal plant in 2019

EDF Energy announced this morning that 2GW coal plant Cottam will close in September this year.

Reacting to the news, ClientEarth energy lawyer Sam Bright said: “The market is closing in on coal plants in the UK, as expected. This is largely thanks to the pioneering carbon price floor and the plummeting costs of renewable energy.

“But where is the UK’s coal phase-out law? BEIS committed a year ago to introduce a law to guarantee a coal exit by 2025 – and yet Claire Perry seemed to row back in December, saying legislation would be a last resort. This incoherent policymaking sends confusing signals. As a leader of the Powering Past Coal Alliance, we need clarity and ambition from the UK.

“Legal certainty is a vital element of securing a just transition for coal workers and the communities living nearby.”