New Energy
China’s Coal Plant Boom Is Undercutting Clean Energy Push
- Local governments have sped up permits for future projects
- Planners say coal is needed to balance intermittent renewables
Coal at Guoyuan Port container terminal in Chongqing.
Photographer: CFOTO/Future Publishing/Getty Images
This article is for subscribers only.
China embarked last year on its biggest coal-power building boom in a decade, reinforcing the role of the dirtiest fossil fuel in its energy mix even as it aims to transition to renewables.
Nearly 95 gigawatts of new coal-fired generators started construction, the most since 2015, according to a joint study released on Thursday by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air and Global Energy Monitor. Local governments also sped up permits for future plants toward the end of the year after a slowdown in the first half, approving a total of 67 gigawatts of new capacity in 2024.