BBC News - Cockenzie coal-fired power plant closes The coal-fired power station at Cockenzie in East Lothian is due to close later. The station's huge chimneys are a well-known local landmark, but the station does not meet modern environmental standards. ScottishPower wants to convert the plant to burn gas, rather than coal. There have been no compulsory redundancies, with workers offered other jobs, redundancy or early retirement. Neil Clitheroe, ScottishPower's CEO of energy retail and generation, said it was an important day for the workforce and the local community. He added: "It is the end of an era for ScottishPower and for the people at Cockenzie Power Station, who I would like to thank for all of their hard work and commitment over the last 45 years. Every man and woman who has ever been connected with the power station has played an important role in helping to keep the lights on in Scotland and across Great Britain. When Cockenzie became operational in 1967, the world was a very different place, but the station was designed to such a high standard that it played a pivotal role in maintaining the security of electricity supplies in Britain for more than four decades. Volatile markets Lang Banks, WWF Scotland's director, said: "The closure of Cockenzie coal plant marks an important milestone in Scotland's progression to a renewable energy future. Renewables now generate more of Scotland's electricity needs than either coal or gas and reduced emissions by over 10 million tonnes last year. There is no need for the proposed new gas plant to fill the space left by the coal station. The government's own energy policy shows Scotland doesn't need any new gas or coal to keep the lights on. A new unabated gas plant risks locking Scotland into high carbon electricity generation that threatens our climate targets and makes us even more reliant on volatile global gas markets.