Another European Country Bids Farewell to Coal

Portugal becomes the fourth European country to stop producing electricity from coal, a decision most welcomed by environmental activists as the continent wishes to phase out the polluting source of energy by 2030.

“Freeing ourselves from our biggest source of greenhouse gases is a momentous day for Portugal,” says Francisco Ferreira, head of the Portuguese environmental association ZERO.

Located 150 kilometers northeast of the Portuguese capital Lisbon, the Pego plant closed down, and the country’s last coal-fired power plant could be repurposed to produce sustainable biomass, solar energy, or electric vehicles. Having invested greatly in green energy over the last few decades, Portugal joins Belgium, Austria, and Sweden in phasing out coal.