Coal production played a key role in the UK economy in the 19th and 20th

centuries. In the mid-1970s, 130 million tonnes of coal was being

produced annually, not falling below 100 million tonnes until the early
1980s. During the 1980s and 1990s the industry was scaled back
considerably. In 2011, the UK produced 18.3 million tonnes of coal.[303]
In 2005 it had proven recoverable coal reserves of 171 million tons.[303]
The UK Coal Authority has stated there is a potential to produce between
7 billion tonnes and 16 billion tonnes of coal through underground coal
gasification (UCG) or 'fracking',[304] and that, based on current UK coal
consumption, such reserves could last between 200 and 400 years.[305]
However, environmental and social concerns have been raised over
chemicals getting into the water table and minor earthquakes damaging
homes.[306][307]
In the late 1990s, nuclear power plants contributed around 25% of total
annual electricity generation in the UK, but this has gradually declined
as old plants have been shut down and ageing-related problems affect
plant availability. In 2012, the UK had 16 reactors normally generating
about 19% of its electricity. All but one of the reactors will be retired
by 2023. Unlike Germany and Japan, the UK intends to build a new
generation of nuclear plants from about 2018.[297]
The total of all renewable electricity sources provided for 14.9% of the
electricity generated in the United Kingdom in 2013,[308] reaching 53.7
TWh of electricity generated. The UK is one of the best sites in Europe
for wind energy, and wind power production is its fastest growing supply,
in 2014 it generated 9.3% of the UK's total electricity.[309][310][311]
Water supply and sanitation
Main article: Water supply and sanitation in the United Kingdom
Access to improved water supply and sanitation in the UK is universal. It
is estimated that 96.7% of households are connected to the sewer
network.[312] According to the Environment Agency, total water
abstraction for public water supply in the UK was 16,406 megalitres per
day in 2007.[313] In England and Wales the economic regulator of water
companies is the Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat). The
Environment Agency is responsible for environmental regulation, and the
Drinking Water Inspectorate for regulating drinking water quality. The
economic water industry regulator in Scotland is the Water Industry
Commission for Scotland and the environmental regulator is the Scottish
Environment Protection Agency. Drinking water standards and wastewater
discharge standards in the UK, as in other countries of the European
Union, are determined by the EU (see Water supply and sanitation in the
European Union).
In England and Wales water and sewerage services are provided by 10
private regional water and sewerage companies and 13 mostly smaller
private "water only" companies. In Scotland water and sewerage services
are provided by a single public company, Scottish Water. In Northern
Ireland water and sewerage services are also provided by a single public
entity, Northern Ireland Water.
Demographics
Main article: Demography of the United Kingdom
Map of population density in the UK as at the 2011 census.
A census is taken simultaneously in all parts of the UK every ten
years.[314] The Office for National Statistics is responsible for
collecting data for England and Wales, the General Register Office for