Timeline — Britain's Grid Decarbonisation
Policy instruments, plant closures and generation records that took the British electricity system from coal-dominated to majority low-carbon, split into policy and system-event lanes.
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title "British electricity system decarbonisation, 1990-2035"
axis 1990 2036
era 1990 2008 "Dash for gas" color amber
era 2008 2020 "Renewables build-out" color teal
era 2020 2036 "Net zero pathway" color green
lane "Policy"
event 1990 "Electricity supply industry privatised"
event 2002 "Renewables Obligation begins"
event 2008 "Climate Change Act"
event 2013 "Contracts for Difference introduced"
event 2013 "Carbon price floor bites"
event 2019 "Net zero 2050 legislated"
event 2021 "Coal phase-out date moved to 2024"
lane "System events"
event 2012 "Wind exceeds 10% of generation"
event 2016 "First coal-free half hour"
event 2017 "First coal-free day since 1882"
event 2020 "Two coal-free months in lockdown"
event 2022 "Hornsea 2 fully commissioned"
event 2024 "Ratcliffe-on-Soar closes, coal era ends"
event 2035 "Target for a clean power system"