European countries have launched a new dash for coal in the battle to keep the lights on.
The Telegraph says today that the Netherlands has now joined Britain and Germany in warning that it will have to use more of the dirtiest fossil fuel this winter to stave off a looming energy shortage.
The move risks opening up a split between European Union member states and Brussels, which is committed to the green transition.
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, has said that governments must stay focused on "massive investment in renewables".
She added: "We have to make sure that we use this crisis to move forward and not to have a backsliding on the dirty fossil fuels."
The price of coal has surged since February 24 as Russian supplies of both coal and gas are shunned in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine, leaving power generators competing for supplies from elsewhere.
There are growing fears that Russia's gas will be cut off, adding further to demand and raising the prospect of blackouts or energy rationing on the Continent.
Risk of shortages
Deirdre Michie, chief executive of Offshore Energies UK, said in a speech on Monday that the risk of shortages was real.
Speaking at an event in the House of Commons, she said the transition away from fossil fuels will take time.
The Telegraph says she added: "We could be living through the reality of not getting this right as soon as this winter, if the concerns being raised about blackouts and shortages come to pass."
The price of coal delivered to northern Europe has already reached record highs of £273 per tonne - four times what it was before the pandemic.
Myles Allsop, an analyst at UBS, predicted prices could stay high for one to two years. Turmoil in gas markets is pushing up gas prices and therefore demand for coal as an alternative.
Several countries are falling back onto coal despite its carbon emissions, as concerns grow that Russia will cut off gas supplies to Europe this winter in retaliation over sanctions.
Coal use in UK
Britain has had a long history of using coal.
Deep-shaft mining in the UK began to develop extensively in the late 18th century, with rapid expansion throughout the 19th century and early 20th century.
Until the late 1960s, coal was the main source of energy produced in the UK, peaking at 228million tonnes in 1952.
Last month, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng wrote to the owners of the UK's remaining power coal-fired power generators asking them to stay open longer than planned.
National Grid has since struck a deal with EDF to continue operating as a back-up supply this winter, and similar deals with fellow plant owners Uniper and Drax are expected to follow.
On Sunday, Germany said it would reopen mothballed coal power plants, after the Kremlin cut gas flows to Germany through the Nord Stream pipeline by 60%.