Great Britain has gone a full week without coal - generated power , with high wind speeds offsetting the need for the fossil fuel . This is the first time the country has gone a week without coal since the Industrial Revolution . National Grid expects such shortages to become a regular occurrence , and has said it will be able to install a zero - carbon electricity system by 2025 . While the costs of offshore wind have plummeted, it is not sensible to rely on a single source of power. There have , however , been warnings that the government 's strategy to focus on offshore wind , in the absence of solar and onshore wind , could see low carbon deployment " run dry " .
Great Britain has gone a full week without coal - generated power , with high wind speeds offsetting the need for the fossil fuel . This is the first time the country has gone a week without coal since the Industrial Revolution . National Grid expects such shortages to become a regular occurrence , and has said it will be able to install a zero - carbon electricity system by 2025 . There have , however , been warnings that the government 's strategy to focus on offshore wind , in the absence of solar and onshore wind , could see low carbon deployment " run dry " .