New Coal Plants Are Just Too Expensive in China, Analysis Says
- New investments will be in renewable energy, analysts say
- More than 10 regions can resume building new coal projects
People tend to vegetables near cooling towers of a coal-fired power station in Tongling, Anhui province, China.
Photographer: Qilai Shen/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
China’s green light to build more coal-fired power plants probably won’t usher in a flurry of new construction as most policies and investments in the top energy user will tilt toward renewable sources.
More than 10 regions will be freed of their overcapacity tag in 2022, clearing a hurdle for them to resume building coal-fired plants. But many of the nation’s largest power companies are under a state drive to develop more clean energy projects, according to Morningstar Inc., which expects growth in coal-fired capacity to lag other sources.