When Coal Won’t Step Aside: The Challenge of Scaling Clean Energy in China

In 2024, China approved 66.7 GW of new coal power and saw 94.5 GW begin construction, the highest level since 2015, despite adding a record 356 GW of wind and solar capacity. This 'energy addition' strategy is driven by long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) that guarantee coal generation and the influence of coal mining companies, who financed over 75% of new approvals. These factors lead to the curtailment of renewables and a shift away from using coal plants as flexible regulating capacity. The report concludes that China's coal expansion contrasts sharply with global trends, as China accounted for 93% of global coal construction starts in 2024.

• China's coal power activity remains high, with 66.7 GW of new capacity permitted in 2024 and 94.5 GW beginning construction, marking the highest level of construction starts since 2015.
• China is the primary driver of global coal expansion, accounting for 93% of global construction starts in 2024, while the global coal fleet outside China decreased by 9.2 GW.
• Long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) protect coal's market share by requiring plants to secure contracts for at least 80% of projected annual output, which leads to the curtailment of wind and solar power.
• Coal mining companies and energy groups with mining operations financed more than 75% of newly approved coal power capacity in 2024 to secure demand for their production.
• There is a declining trend in using new coal plants for renewable energy integration; fewer than 30% of 2024 permits cited facilitating solar and wind integration as an objective, with most focusing on local energy security or economic development.
• Actual solar power curtailment in 2024 was likely higher than official figures, with an estimated actual rate of 5.47% compared to the official 3.2%.

APA

Qin, Q., & Shearer, C. (2025). When Coal Won’t Step Aside: The Challenge of Scaling Clean Energy in China. Global Energy Monitor. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/CREA_GEM_China_Coal-power_H2-2024_FINAL_11.pdf

Chicago

Qin, Qi, and Christine Shearer. When Coal Won’t Step Aside: The Challenge of Scaling Clean Energy in China. Global Energy Monitor, 2025. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/CREA_GEM_China_Coal-power_H2-2024_FINAL_11.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Qin |first1=Qi |last2=Shearer |first2=Christine |title=When Coal Won’t Step Aside: The Challenge of Scaling Clean Energy in China |publisher=Global Energy Monitor |date=13 February 2025 |url=https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/CREA_GEM_China_Coal-power_H2-2024_FINAL_11.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{qin2025when, author = {Qin, Qi and Shearer, Christine}, title = {{When Coal Won’t Step Aside: The Challenge of Scaling Clean Energy in China}}, institution = {Global Energy Monitor}, year = {2025}, month = feb, url = {https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/CREA_GEM_China_Coal-power_H2-2024_FINAL_11.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }