Search Climate Insights Directory

This report by Global Energy Monitor and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) analyzes the state of coal power expansion in China as of February 2026. It highlights a critical divergence where coal capacity reached a decade-high in 2025 despite falling generation and the rapid growth of clean energy and storage. The authors argue that current investment incentives and a large project pipeline risk locking in overcapacity and hindering China's 2030 climate targets, urging a fundamental shift in coal's role from baseload power to a flexible, residual support resource during the 15th Five-Year Plan.

The report 'Boom and Bust Coal 2026' by Global Energy Monitor analyzes the global coal plant pipeline in 2025, highlighting a growing disconnect where coal capacity continues to increase—driven primarily by China and India—while actual coal-fired electricity generation declines due to the rapid expansion of wind and solar power.

This report by Global Energy Monitor and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) examines the structural inertia preventing a transition away from coal in China's power system. Despite a record decline in coal's share of power generation and the rapid expansion of renewables, coal capacity continues to grow due to high commissioning rates, strong project approvals, and institutional protections such as capacity payments and inflexible dispatch rules. The report highlights a significant gap between official retirement targets and actual progress, urging the development of a national roadmap for coal phase-down in the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan.

This report analyzes the recent surge in coal power approvals in China, the drivers behind this expansion, and the strategies being employed to transition the power sector toward decarbonization and flexibility.

This executive summary by Ember argues that the rapid deployment of clean flexibility—specifically battery storage, demand-side flexibility, and grids—is essential to integrate increasing volumes of wind and solar generation into the European power system and avoid renewable energy curtailment.