Global coal power capacity rose in 2025 even as coal-fired electricity generation fell
The Facts
- Global coal-fired electricity generation fell by 0.6% in 2025 from the previous year, according to Global Energy Monitor's analysis.
- Global coal power capacity added or commissioned in 2025 increased by 3.5%, even as coal generation declined.
- Most of the new coal power capacity added in 2025 was in China and India, accounting for about 95% of new plants or capacity additions cited in the report.
- China added coal power capacity in 2025 while its coal-fired electricity generation fell; one report cited a 6% rise in capacity and a 1.2% drop in generation.
- The United States was identified as the only major economy to substantially increase coal generation in 2025.
- The report links the decline in coal generation partly to the growing affordability and availability of renewable energy, saying wind and solar were able to meet more electricity demand in many parts of the world.
- The findings point to an unresolved tension in the power sector: countries are still building coal plants even as actual coal use falls, suggesting coal capacity is in some cases being retained or expanded for backup, grid reliability, or energy-security purposes.
How left and right are reading this
- Both agree
- Falling coal generation alongside rising coal capacity shows an unresolved power-sector tension: even as cheaper, more available wind and solar meet more demand, countries are still keeping or adding coal plants for backup, grid reliability, or energy security.
- They split on
- Less a disagreement than a question of emphasis: the public-interest cost of building infrastructure that no longer matches actual use, versus the institutional logic and incentives that keep backup coal capacity in place despite declining generation.
Context
How can coal capacity rise while coal use falls?
The sources say countries commissioned more coal plants in 2025, but actual electricity generated from coal still declined. Global Energy Monitor and coverage of its report say renewables such as wind and solar met more demand, while some new coal capacity was added as backup or for energy-security reasons rather than for higher day-to-day generation Carbon Brief,Mongabay.
Which countries drove most of the new coal buildout?
China and India accounted for about 95% of new coal plants or capacity additions in 2025, according to the report coverage Bangkok Post,Carbon Brief.
Why does this matter for climate policy?
Coal is described in the coverage as a major contributor to greenhouse-gas emissions, so reducing its use is important for climate goals. The report's findings matter because they show coal generation can fall as renewables expand, but continued plant construction could slow or complicate longer-term phaseout efforts Yahoo News,Carbon Brief.
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