Even as China surged ahead in expanding solar and wind energy in 2025, the country opened significantly more coal power plants than in previous years, sparking concerns over whether the world’s largest carbon emitter can curb emissions enough to address climate change.
More than 50 large coal units—each with a generating capacity of 1 gigawatt or more—were commissioned last year, up from fewer than 20 annually over the past decade, according to a report released Tuesday.
Depending on usage, 1 gigawatt can power anywhere from several hundred thousand to over 2 million homes.
In total, China added 78 gigawatts of new coal power capacity in 2025, a sharp increase from previous years, the joint report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air and Global Energy Monitor revealed.
The two organizations track air pollution impacts and energy trends, respectively.
“The scale of the buildout is staggering,” said Christine Shearer, co-author of the report and researcher at Global Energy Monitor.
“In 2025 alone, China commissioned more coal power capacity than India did over the entire past decade.”
At the same time, China installed even larger amounts of wind and solar capacity, which reduced coal’s share of overall power generation slightly. Electricity from coal fell by roughly 1%, as growth in cleaner energy sources offset the nation’s rising electricity demand.
According to the government’s National Energy Administration, China added 315 gigawatts of solar capacity and 119 gigawatts of wind in 2025.
The rapid growth of renewable energy raises the question of why China continues to build coal power plants—and, by most estimates, more than necessary.
The answer is complex.
China, at an earlier stage of economic development than the United States or Europe, still requires substantial energy to sustain growth. As more of its 1.4 billion citizens move into the middle class, demand for household appliances like air conditioners and washing machines is rising.
Electricity is also crucial for powering factories and supporting high-demand sectors such as artificial intelligence, a government priority as it aims to establish China as a global technology leader.
Power shortages in 2021 and 2022 intensified concerns over energy security. Some factories temporarily halted operations, and at least one city implemented rolling blackouts.
In response, the government encouraged the construction of more coal plants, triggering a surge in applications and permits. That wave of approvals in 2022–23 contributed to last year’s significant jump in coal capacity, said Qi Qin, an analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air and co-author of the report.
“Once permits are issued, projects are difficult to reverse,” she said.
The report noted that construction began on 83 gigawatts of coal power in 2025, indicating that a large amount of new capacity could come online this year.
Government officials maintain that coal serves as a stable backup for weather-dependent energy sources like wind and solar. Shortages in 2022 were partly caused by a drought that affected hydropower, a major source of electricity in western China.
Coal should “play an important underpinning and balancing role” for years, the National Development and Reform Commission said in guidance issued last year on making coal plants cleaner and more efficient.
The China Coal Transportation and Distribution Association, an industry group, stated last week that coal-fired power will remain essential for power-system stability, even as other energy sources expand.
However, the risk of expanding coal-fired capacity is that it may slow the transition to cleaner energy, Qin warned. Political and financial pressures will likely keep these plants operating, reducing room for alternative energy sources.
The report recommended that China accelerate the retirement of aging and inefficient coal plants and commit in its upcoming five-year plan, set for approval in March, to keeping power-sector emissions from rising between 2025 and 2030.
“Whether China’s coal power expansion ultimately translates into higher emissions will depend on … whether coal power’s role is genuinely constrained to backup and supporting rather than baseload generation,” Qin said.
