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David Fickling

The World’s Last Coal Plant Will Soon Be Built

More generators were closed last year than approved, for possibly the first time since the 19th century.

A tipping point for this fossil fuel? — A tipping point for this fossil fuel?
Photographer: Carla Gottgens/Bloomberg

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May 15, 2019, 2:01 AM UTC

Fossil-fuel advocates have a favorite rejoinder to those who predict a global shift to renewable energy: Coal has never been more popular.

It’s a decent argument because it happens to be true. While coal-fired power has declined by nearly a quarter in Europe and almost 40 percent in North America over the past decade, the change has been overwhelmed by a 63 percent increase in Asia.