China’s Coal Power Construction Hits 10-Year High: Report

China’s coal power boom continues despite pledges to phase down, which is ‘not surprising,’ according to energy analysts.

An entrance to the Datai coal mine in Mentougou, China, on Dec. 11, 2019. Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images

China’s construction of coal-fired power plants has reached its highest in a decade, according to a new report.

Driven by industry interests, China started construction in 2024 on 94.5 gigawatts of coal-fired power, the highest volume of new builds since 2015, according to a report by the Finland-based Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) released on Feb. 13.