China Dominates 2020 Coal Plant Development

New coal power investments are on the rise in China. In 2020, China built over three times as much new coal power capacity as all other countries in the world combined – the equivalent of more than one large coal plant per week. In addition, over 73 gigawatts (GW) of new coal power projects were initiated in China, five times as much as in all other countries, while construction permits for new coal projects also accelerated. The degree to which the central government strengthens regulation and enforcement, and how much coal power it will plan for in the countryʼs next Five Year Plan (2021–2025), remains to be seen.