Boom and Bust Coal 2024

The Boom and Bust Coal 2024 report by Global Energy Monitor analyzes global coal power capacity trends, highlighting a net increase in operating capacity in 2023 driven primarily by China, despite a general global decline in new construction starts outside of China.

• Global operating coal capacity increased by 2% in 2023, reaching a total of 2,130 GW. This growth was characterized by 69.5 GW of commissioned capacity and 21.1 GW of retirements, resulting in a net annual increase of 48.4 GW, the highest net increase since 2016.
• China is the primary driver of global coal expansion. In 2023, China commissioned 47.4 GW of capacity—roughly two-thirds of global additions—and saw new construction starts reach 70.2 GW, an eight-year high and 19 times the 3.7 GW started by the rest of the world.
• Outside of China, new coal construction starts hit a record annual low since 2015, with less than 4 GW of new projects starting in 2023. No new coal plant construction has started in the OECD, Europe, or the Middle East since 2019, nor in Latin America since 2016.
• A significant gap exists between current coal capacity and the retirement schedules needed to meet Paris Agreement goals. Currently, 75% (1,626 GW) of global operating coal capacity lacks a specific closure commitment, while only 15% (317 GW) has a commitment aligned with climate goals.
• China and India dominate the future coal pipeline, collectively accounting for 82% of the world's total pre-construction capacity (announced, pre-permit, and permitted). Along with eight other countries, they represent 95% of all coal power capacity under consideration.

APA

Champenois, F. (2024). Boom and Bust Coal 2024. Global Energy Monitor. https://globalenergymonitor.org/research/boom-and-bust-coal-2024

Chicago

Champenois, Flora. Boom and Bust Coal 2024. Global Energy Monitor, 2024. https://globalenergymonitor.org/research/boom-and-bust-coal-2024.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Champenois |first1=Flora |title=Boom and Bust Coal 2024 |publisher=Global Energy Monitor |date=29 April 2024 |url=https://globalenergymonitor.org/research/boom-and-bust-coal-2024 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{champenois2024boom, author = {Champenois, Flora}, title = {{Boom and Bust Coal 2024}}, institution = {Global Energy Monitor}, year = {2024}, month = apr, url = {https://globalenergymonitor.org/research/boom-and-bust-coal-2024}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }