Global Coal Plant Tracker Methodology

The Global Coal Plant Tracker (GCPT) monitors coal-fired electrical generating plants of 30 MW or larger, including operating units, those proposed since 2010, and those retired since 2000. The methodology employs a two-level system consisting of a database for unit-level tracking and detailed wiki pages for project histories. Data is validated through government records, company reports, NGO tracking, and on-the-ground contacts, with updates occurring bi-annually in January and July. The tracker categorizes plant status into nine stages, ranging from 'Announced' to 'Retired', and calculates carbon dioxide emissions based on unit capacity, emission factors for coal types, heat rates for combustion technology, and global average utilization rates.

• Global coal power development is increasingly concentrated in a small number of countries; by 2025, ten countries accounted for 97% of global coal capacity under development, with China and India alone comprising nearly 90%.
• The number of countries proposing or building new coal plants has declined significantly, falling from 75 in 2014 to 32 in 2025, while 42 countries have eliminated coal power under development since the 2015 Paris Agreement.
• To align with the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C target, all coal-fired power plants must be retired by 2040, yet GCPT data indicates that over half of the world's operating capacity lacks a Paris-aligned closure commitment.
• The GCPT tracks all coal-fired electrical generating units with a gross nameplate capacity of 30 MW or larger, including those proposed since 2010 and retired since 2000.
• The tracker uses a specific status classification system to categorize plants: Announced, Pre-permit development, Permitted, Construction, Shelved, Cancelled, Operating, Mothballed, and Retired.
• Carbon dioxide emissions are estimated using unit capacity, emission factors per coal type, combustion technology heat rates, and a capacity factor based on global average utilization, assuming a 40-year operational lifetime.

APA

Babajeva, J., Hummer, L., Lim, J., Pitre, C., Zhang, M., Zhang, X., Bixel, E., Browning, J., Burton, B., Clark, G., Frank, J., Nace, T., Shearer, C., Wilson, A., Yu, A., Law, C., Shearer, I., Woerner, A., & Zhu, Y. (2026). Global Coal Plant Tracker Methodology. Global Energy Monitor. https://globalenergymonitor.org/projects/global-coal-plant-tracker/methodology/

Chicago

Babajeva, Jelena, Lucy Hummer, Jeanette Lim, Claire Pitre, Mingxin Zhang, Xing Zhang, Elena Bixel, et al. Global Coal Plant Tracker Methodology. Global Energy Monitor, 2026. https://globalenergymonitor.org/projects/global-coal-plant-tracker/methodology/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Babajeva |first1=Jelena |last2=Hummer |first2=Lucy |last3=Lim |first3=Jeanette |last4=Pitre |first4=Claire |last5=Zhang |first5=Mingxin |last6=Zhang |first6=Xing |last7=Bixel |first7=Elena |last8=Browning |first8=James |last9=Burton |first9=Bob |display-authors=etal |title=Global Coal Plant Tracker Methodology |publisher=Global Energy Monitor |date=January 2026 |url=https://globalenergymonitor.org/projects/global-coal-plant-tracker/methodology/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{babajeva2026global, author = {Babajeva, Jelena and Hummer, Lucy and Lim, Jeanette and Pitre, Claire and Zhang, Mingxin and Zhang, Xing and Bixel, Elena and Browning, James and Burton, Bob and Clark, Gregor and Frank, Joshua and Nace, Ted and Shearer, Christine and Wilson, Adrian and Yu, Aiqun and Law, Christine and Shearer, Iris and Woerner, Austin and Zhu, Yvette}, title = {{Global Coal Plant Tracker Methodology}}, institution = {Global Energy Monitor}, year = {2026}, month = jan, url = {https://globalenergymonitor.org/projects/global-coal-plant-tracker/methodology/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }