Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will publish a plan to phase out all unabated coal power.

Coal accounted for 40% of total UK electricity generation in 2012, falling to 29% in 2014. We expect the role of unabated coal generation to decline further as a result of deployment of low carbon alternatives, the cost of generation and the investment needed to meet new pollution abatement standards. The Department’s analysis (central scenario) shows that unabated coal is expected to account for around 1% of total UK generation by 2025.

The Government’s planning policy prevents the building of new coal power plants without carbon capture and storage.

Source: DECC Updated energy and emissions projections 2014 https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/368021/Updated_energy_and_emissions_projections2014.pdf