Coal Phasedown

Fewer Coal Power Plants Close in 2022 Than in Recent Years

Data from Ember’s fourth annual Global Electricity Review reveals that electricity generation from coal increased by 1.1 percent last year, which is in line with the average rate of growth in the last decade. Ember found that while the rate of new coal power plants opening did not increase, 2022 saw fewer coal power plants close than in any year since 2015. Analysts say this was due to countries seeking to hold onto back-up capacity.

Electricity data was analyzed from 78 countries, representing 93 percent of global electricity demand and includes estimated changes for the missing data.

Description

This chart shows the gigawatts of coal capacity added/lost from plant openings/closures worldwide.

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Total power capacity of coal plants in development, operation, or retirement worldwide as of 2024, by status (in megawatts)
Installed coal power generation capacity worldwide from 2005 to 2022, with a forecast until 2050 (in gigawatts)
Capacity of proposed coal power plants worldwide from 2015 to 2025, by status (in gigawatts)
Capacity of newly operational coal-fired power plants in China from 2000 to 2022 (in megawatts)
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Power capacity of coal plants in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2015 to 2024, by status (in gigawatts)
Potential impacts of re-opening coal power plants on emissions and climate commitments in the European Union in 2023

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