Marked Decline in China and India Significantly Decreases New Coal Power Capacity
According to a new report “Boom and Bust 2018: Tracking the global coal plant pipeline” co-published by CoalSwarm, Greenpeace USA, and Sierra Club, significant reduction in new coal power capacity in China and India resulted in the world adding about 40 gigawatts (GW) less new coal power capacity in 2017 than it did two years before (Chart). The two countries that have dominated the development of new coal power capacity over the past decade are now massively deploying renewable energy, particularly wind and solar.
Newly Operating Coal Power Capacity by Year (Gigawatts)
Source: CoalSwarm Global Coal Plant Tracker, January 2018. Includes units 30 MW and larger.
As a result of these developments, with “only” roughly 60 GW of newly operating coal power capacity worlwide 2017 was the worst year for coal power technology expansion in the past decade.
