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Iceland already uses no coal for electricity... From googling around it sounds like there are a number of others too, though most of those that don't burn coal

Iceland already uses no coal for electricity... From googling around it sounds like there are a number of others too, though most of those that don't burn coal seem to burn a lot of oil instead. Iceland just uses hydro power and geothermal energy, though.

Reason077 10y ago
Electricity grids in countries like Norway and New Zealand run almost entirely on renewables. In fact, in Norway it's something like 99%. But of course, what those countries have in common is relatively small populations with lots of natural resources to draw on. France is over 75% nuclear with another 20% being met by renewables. The UK reached 46% from nuclear & renewables in 2015, with most of the rest being met from gas turbines.
- knz 10y ago
  New Zealand is at about 80% and that's just for generating electricity. Large countries like the US also have abundant natural resources, between wind, solar, and nuclear we should have no energy concerns. Unlike small countries the US also had the ability to diversify where power is generated and had more physical space for wind/solar farms.
- kalleboo 10y ago
  I think all the electricity production in Sweden is either Hydro or Nuclear (+ token amounts of wind), but our hydro also acts as a buffer to Denmark's wind power, so sometimes we get Danish coal power imports instead to make up for it...
  - bjelkeman-again 10y ago
    Sweden in 2014 produced about 64 TWh (42%) from large hydro and 62 TWh (41%) from nuclear. The rest came from wind 12 TWh (7.9%) and from other 13 TWh (8.5%), other being mostly biofuel and waste. https://bjelkeman.wordpress.com/2015/04/17/sustainable-energy-the-growth-of-wind-power-in-sweden-par/ https://bjelkeman.wordpress.com/2015/04/17/sustainable-energ... The electricity use is only 123 TWh of a total energy use of 379 TWh (2011). Of which 127 TWh is still coal and oil products. So still a lot of work to be done, primarily in transport. https://bjelkeman.wordpress.com/2014/12/10/sustainable-energy-a-swedish-energy-balance-sheet-part-2/ https://bjelkeman.wordpress.com/2014/12/10/sustainable-energ...

Reason077 10y ago

Electricity grids in countries like Norway and New Zealand run almost entirely on renewables. In fact, in Norway it's something like 99%. But of course, what those countries have in common is relatively small populations with lots of natural resources to draw on. France is over 75% nuclear with another 20% being met by renewables. The UK reached 46% from nuclear & renewables in 2015, with most of the rest being met from gas turbines.

knz 10y ago
New Zealand is at about 80% and that's just for generating electricity. Large countries like the US also have abundant natural resources, between wind, solar, and nuclear we should have no energy concerns. Unlike small countries the US also had the ability to diversify where power is generated and had more physical space for wind/solar farms.
kalleboo 10y ago
I think all the electricity production in Sweden is either Hydro or Nuclear (+ token amounts of wind), but our hydro also acts as a buffer to Denmark's wind power, so sometimes we get Danish coal power imports instead to make up for it...
- bjelkeman-again 10y ago
  Sweden in 2014 produced about 64 TWh (42%) from large hydro and 62 TWh (41%) from nuclear. The rest came from wind 12 TWh (7.9%) and from other 13 TWh (8.5%), other being mostly biofuel and waste. https://bjelkeman.wordpress.com/2015/04/17/sustainable-energy-the-growth-of-wind-power-in-sweden-par/ https://bjelkeman.wordpress.com/2015/04/17/sustainable-energ... The electricity use is only 123 TWh of a total energy use of 379 TWh (2011). Of which 127 TWh is still coal and oil products. So still a lot of work to be done, primarily in transport. https://bjelkeman.wordpress.com/2014/12/10/sustainable-energy-a-swedish-energy-balance-sheet-part-2/ https://bjelkeman.wordpress.com/2014/12/10/sustainable-energ...