World burned less coal in 2025, but built more plants over energy uncertainty
Global coal use decreased slightly in 2025, but coal-fired power capacity increased by 3.5%, mainly due to new projects in China and India. The European Union saw a failure to retire nearly 70% of planned coal plants, driven by energy security concerns. The U.S. experienced a 13% rise in coal electricity generation due to policy interventions, contrasting with the global trend toward renewables.
- ▪Global coal use dropped by 0.6% in 2025, while coal-fired power capacity rose by 3.5%.
- ▪China added 78.1 gigawatts of coal power capacity, but its actual coal use fell by 1.2%.
- ▪India's renewable energy sources made up more than half of its overall power capacity for the first time in 2025.
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Global Energy Monitor released its annual review of global coal use, saying power generation dropped slightly in 2025.While its overall use decreased, the amount of coal-fired power capacity rose by 3.5%, primarily due to new projects in China and India.In the EU, nearly 70% of planned retirements of coal plants for 2025 failed to materialize, partly due to concerns over energy disruptions.The U.S. was a major outlier, with policy interventions leading to a 13% increase in coal electricity generation.See All Key Ideas (function($) { $(document).ready(function() { const bulletPoints = $('.bulletpoints'); const toggle = $('.bulletpoints-wrapper .content-expander'); if (bulletPoints.length > 0) { const bulletPointsHeight = bulletPoints[0].scrollHeight; if (bulletPointsHeight &&…
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