Britain has gone an entire week without using coal to generate electricity for the first time in modern history, marking a key moment in the country’s shift towards cleaner-burning fuels. The National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) said on Wednesday that at 1:24pm, Britain’s electric system had been coal-free for 168 hours, something it predicted would become standard in the near future. Fintan Slye, director of ESO said “As more and more renewables come on to our energy system, coal-free runs like this are going to be a regular occurrence. We believe that by 2025 we will be able to fully operate Great Britain’s electricity system with zero carbon.” The UK is set to phase out coal use by 2025, helped by a ramp up in renewable energy sources such as offshore wind. The UK has just six remaining coal-fired power stations. Financial Times