E.ON to safeguard coal plants to keep lights on

The E.ON chief executive has urged the UK government to exempt old coal-fired power stations from environmental regulations and to keep them operational to stop electricity from running out. Paul Golby divulged the information that some of the current operating coal-powered plants are about to close this year due to Europe’s new pollution regulations.

The E.ON official said that keeping the old power stations can secure supplies of electricity. His view was privately backed by many of the power station owners across the UK, who fear for a threatening energy gap in the years to come if the ageing coal-powered plants will be shut down with no fresh reactors, clean coal-powered stations and wind farms to replace them.

He also warned that if more wind farms are to be built, more energy source back-up will be required when the wind blows at its lowest, particularly during winter. On the recent cold snap, E.ON’s wind farms only generated 16 per cent of their capacity.

Golby’s idea places the energy industry into a confrontational collision with green groups, who oppose the continued use of coal-fired plants that emit twice as much carbon as gas-powered stations.

A Friends of the Earth spokesman said that E.ON got an agenda that tries to keep as many coal-powered plants operational as possible. The green group informed that the required electricity can be easily met by using more solar panels, combined heat and power stations, and gas plants. Meanwhile, another pro-environment group Greenpeace commented that E.ON still wants to make business as usual whatever the cost of coal-powered plants on the climate.