Britain is considering keeping some coal-fired power plants to keep the lights on

Britain is considering keeping a number of coal-fired power plants as back-up to ensure adequate electricity supplies next winter, National Electricity said Wednesday.

Britain has set a target to close coal-fired power plants by October 2024 as part of efforts to reduce emissions to meet climate targets, reports said.

Power plant operators such as EDF and Drax have said their coal plants will close by that deadline but remain in place under contracts with National Electricity as part of contingency planning for the winter of 2022-23 amid record gas prices and concerns about power supplies.