Summary
The report 'Boom and Bust 2026' by Global Energy Monitor analyzes the global coal power landscape in 2025, highlighting a growing divergence where coal capacity continues to increase while actual generation declines. This trend is most prominent in China and India, where renewables are meeting most new demand despite record coal plant commissioning. The document details regional trends, noting that coal development is geographically narrowing to a few countries, while others, such as the EU and Latin America, are moving toward coal phase-out or 'no new coal' goals.
Key insights
- China's coal power sector saw record activity in 2025, with 78 GW of new capacity commissioned (a ten-year high) and new proposals surging to 160 GW. Total coal capacity under development in China has exceeded 500 GW. Despite this, annual coal generation decreased by 1.2% from 5,828 TWh to 5,757 TWh, leading to a drop in average utilization rates from 56% to 52%.
- India's coal pipeline expanded for the fifth consecutive year, with 27.9 GW of new or restarted projects in 2025. The government aims to add 100 GW of coal capacity over the next seven years, even as non-fossil fuel capacity exceeded half of the total installed capacity in 2025. Total capacity in pre-construction planning is 107.3 GW, with another 23.5 GW under construction.
- Retirement of coal plants is lagging globally. Nearly 70% of units planned for retirement in 2025 remained operational, including 69% in the EU and 59% in the US. In the US, delays are linked to government intervention to keep old plants running, while in the EU, delays stem from decisions following the 2022-23 energy crisis.
- Indonesia's coal capacity grew by 7% in 2025, with 25% of that growth linked to captive coal power for nickel and aluminum processing. Indonesia ranks third globally for proposed coal capacity at 11 GW.
Cite the original document
- APA
- Global Energy Monitor (2026). 追踪全球燃煤电厂发展. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/2026-05/Boom%20and%20Bust%202026_Chinese%20layout.pdf
- Chicago
- Global Energy Monitor. 追踪全球燃煤电厂发展. 2026. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/2026-05/Boom%20and%20Bust%202026_Chinese%20layout.pdf.
- Wikipedia
- {{cite report |author=Global Energy Monitor |title=追踪全球燃煤电厂发展 |date=May 2026 |url=https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/2026-05/Boom%20and%20Bust%202026_Chinese%20layout.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}
- BibTeX
- @techreport{globalenergymonitor2026, author = {{Global Energy Monitor}}, title = {{追踪全球燃煤电厂发展}}, institution = {Global Energy Monitor}, year = {2026}, month = may, url = {https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/2026-05/Boom%20and%20Bust%202026_Chinese%20layout.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }
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