Towerfest Country Music Festival, Drax Power Station, North Yorkshire

The owners of North Yorkshire’s Drax power plant, formerly a coal-only plant, have pivoted towards a variety of future options - including heavily contested biomass (the burning of imported wood pellets). Over the years, they have received many millions in subsidies from the UK Government.

The UK is near the end of its journey beyond coal – at least for power purposes. There are three operating coal power plants left in the UK, with some spectacular demolitions having taken place over the last couple of years.

Attention is now on planned mining operations for metallurgical coal – used to manufacture steel – in the north of England and, newly, in Wales. These plans have attracted strong grassroots and legal protest.