U.K. Power Industry on Track for Greenest Year in Blow for Coal

(Bloomberg) -- Britain’s effort to scrap coal as a power generation fuel and spur renewables means its electricity industry is on track for its greenest year ever.

Renewable-energy production broke 13 records this year in the U.K., including the first day with zero coal power, according to data compiled by National Grid Plc and WWF.

“We now have significant volumes of renewable energy on the system, which poses an exciting challenge for us in ensuring the supply and demand is matched second by second,” said Duncan Burt, director of the system operator at National Grid, according to the statement.

Among the records broken for renewable energy in the U.K. were:

• The first 24-hour period without coal generation since the Industrial Revolution, on April 21
• The longest period without coal generation -- 40 hours and 35 minutes, on Oct. 28-29
• The first time that wind, solar and nuclear power combined generated more than gas and coal combined

To contact the reporter on this story: Jessica Shankleman in London at jshankleman@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Reed Landberg at landberg@bloomberg.net, Lynn Thomasson

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