The U.K. powered down the final coal power plantIn 2017 the U.K. set a goal of 2025 for the end of coal useThe U.S. is working on increasing the use of renewable resourcesThe U.K. has closed its last coal-fired power plant, according to a report by energy think tank Ember marking an important step in the transition toward cleaner energy. The shuttering of the Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station in Nottinghamshire ends an era that began in 1882, when the world's first coal plant opened in London. Coal still supplied 39% of U.K. electricity as recently as 2012, according to the report, although its share dropped significantly after that, hovering at around 2% since 2019. Coal was primarily replaced with wind and solar energy, according to the report, which estimates that the rapid decrease in coal use since 2012 avoided roughly 970 million tons of carbon emissions and saved about $3.8 million. Many Southeastern utilities are looking to address anticipated higher demand with natural gas rather than wind and solar, according to the report.