Yet, they were needed only three months ago during a cold snap... But it's apparently not financially viable anymore and better to just import energy next time

Yet, they were needed only three months ago during a cold snap... But it's apparently not financially viable anymore and better to just import energy next time if necessary. I.e. costs are thrown at the consumer rather than the energy company. If this is reading cynical, we've been facing a similar situation in Sweden lately and for similar political reasons. Not coal but this time nuclear power plants being shutdown (because nuclear scary, bad and pricey) and of course the prices are soaring in the winter now, especially in southern Sweden where energy transfer costs and bottlenecks in the grid prohibit all too many benefits from all our hydro in northern Sweden, then rather exposing south to the sometimes expensive and volatile European market especially in wartime with exploding pipelines... But sure, we still have energy! THAT is rarely a problem. The prices during like a third of the year though... Last winter was a ride for the south and we didn't even have a Sticky Climate Change Deep Freeze Spot Extravaganza but a fairly mild one. Having said that, coal is just the worst of evils (they kill both people and wildlife -- and that's when they are working as intended!) and I'm happy to hear they are shut down in that sense. I hope UK will get this sorted though.