New coal plants hit ‘10-year’ global high in 2025 – but power output still fell
In 2025, the number of new coal-fired power plants reached a 10-year high, despite a decline in global coal electricity generation. The majority of new capacity was added in China and India, which together accounted for 95% of the growth. As renewable energy sources like wind and solar continue to expand, the profitability of coal power is increasingly challenged.
- ▪Nearly 100 gigawatts of new coal-power capacity were added globally in 2025.
- ▪China and India accounted for 95% of the new coal plants, with 78GW and 10GW added respectively.
- ▪Despite the increase in capacity, coal electricity generation fell by 0.6% in 2025.
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The number of new coal-fired power plants built around the world hit a “10-year high” in 2025, even as the global coal fleet generated less electricity, amid a “widening disconnect” in the sector. That is according to the latest annual report from Global Energy Monitor (GEM), which finds that the world added nearly 100 gigawatts (GW) of new coal-power capacity in 2025, the equivalent of roughly 100 large coal plants. It adds that 95% of the new coal plants were built in India and China. Yet GEM says that the amount of electricity generated with coal fell by 0.6% in 2025 – with sharp drops in both China and India – as the fuel was displaced by record wind and solar output, among other factors.
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