On November 18, 2015, the United Kingdom announced that it intends to close all coal-fired power plants by 2025 that are not able to capture and store their carbon emissions. The country plans to begin restricting usage of coal-fired power plants in 2023. Coal-fired power plants that are able to implement carbon capture and storage before 2025 would not be required to shut down. This announcement makes the United Kingdom the first major economy to name a date for shutting down coal plants. Amber Rudd, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, stated that “it cannot be satisfactory for an advanced economy like the UK to be relying on polluting, carbon-intensive 50-year-old coal-fired power stations.” Approximately one quarter of Britain’s electricity currently comes from coal-fired plants. Many of the coal-fired power stations in the United Kingdom are old and set to close over the next decade due to tightening European Union environmental standards. The British government expressed its commitment to cut carbon dioxide emissions to 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. The country plans to look toward nuclear and natural gas-fired power plants to fill the void created by shutting down the coal-fired plants. Environmentalists have expressed concern that little is being done to promote renewables and have criticized the emphasis on a transition to natural gas. For the full story, read http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/11/18/us-britain-energy-policy-idUKKCN0T71CU20151118, http://www.bbc.com/news/business-34851718 and http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/uk-aims-to-close-coalfired-power-plants-by-2025-in-bid-to-curb-carbon-emissions-20151118-gl2hgs.html