Global coal-plant capacity under development declined in 2021, according to a report by the Global Energy Monitor, which conducts an annual survey of coal power capacity under development or deployment. China leads in coal power expansion, with about 25,000 MW in new coal plants, followed by India with around 6,100 MW.
After rising in 2020 for the first time since 2015, total coal power capacity under development declined 13% last year, from 525 gigawatts (GW) to 457 GW, a record low. 1 GW is 1,000 MW.
Thirty-four countries have new coal plants under consideration, down from 41 countries in January 2021. China, South Korea, and Japan have pledged to stop funding new coal plants in other countries, but China continued to lead all countries in domestic development of new coal plants, commissioning more coal capacity than the rest of the world combined.
