Boom and Bust is an annual survey of the global coal fleet by Global Energy Monitor and partners. The report analyzes key trends in coal power capacity and tracks various stages of capacity development including planned retirements. This provides key insights into the status of the global phaseout of coal power and evaluates progress towards the world’s climate targets and commitments.  The data comes from GEM’s Global Coal Plant Tracker, an online database updated biannually that identifies and maps every known coal-fired generating unit and every new unit proposed since January 1, 201 ..read more

A key indicator of coal power capacity growth — new construction starts — looks set to decline outside of China for the second year in a row, according to new quarterly data from Global Energy Monitor (GEM).  As of October 2023, data in the Global Coal Plant Tracker show that construction starts for the year are under 2 GW, excluding China, well below the nearly 16 GW annual average for the same set of countries in the last eight years (2015 to 2022).  Coal power capacity beginning construction outside of China is on track for 2023 to reach a record annual low since GEM began its yea ..read more

Key points Nearly half a million workers (414,200) operate mines that may reach their end of operation before 2035, affecting on average 100 workers per day. By 2050, nearly 1 million coal mine jobs (990,200) will no longer exist at operating mines given the coal industry’s foreseeable closures, potentially laying off over one-third (37%) of the existing workforce – even without climate pledges or policies to phase out coal. China and India will likely be hardest hit: China’s Shanxi province would shed the most jobs globally — nearly a quarter of a million (241,900) by 2050 — while Coal India ..read more

The post Chinaʼs new coal power spree continues as more provinces jump on the bandwagon appeared first on Global Energy Monitor ..read more

According to a new analysis by Global Energy Monitor (GEM) and Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), close to 11.5 gigawatts (GW) of coal power capacity under development moved forward through various approval stages in the first five months of 2023. India permitted about 3.9 GW of coal projects and 7.6 GW of coal projects received Terms of Reference, moving them one step closer to permits. Despite the concerning uptick, the number of projects in development (announced, pre-permit, and permitted coal capacity including captive and non-captive) has shrunk by a staggering 85% since ..read more

The post PDP8: Vietnam inches closer to commissioning its last new coal plant, but key coal phaseout and participation questions remain appeared first on Global Energy Monitor ..read more

Colombia’s coal mining sector could double its methane emissions, adding up to 216 thousand tonnes per year if the country’s proposed mines are developed and operations resume at two Cesar department coal mines, according to a briefing by Global Energy Monitor (GEM). The briefing examines coal mine methane emissions at major and proposed mines in Colombia, revealing that the up to 32 million tonnes (Mt) of capacity currently announced, could result in nearly 161 thousand tonnes of methane emissions per year, the equivalent to 5 Mt of CO2 – the annual emissions of a new coal-fired power plant ..read more

The amount of operating and planned coal plants fell in 2022 both in developed and developing countries excluding China, as plants were retired and new projects cancelled, according to Global Energy Monitor’s ninth annual survey of the coal plant pipeline. But the global pace of retirements needs to move four and half times faster in order to put the world on track to phasing out coal power by 2040, as required to meet the goals of the Paris climate agreement. To stay on track, all existing coal plants must be retired by 2030 in the world’s richest countries, and by 2040 everywhere.  De ..read more

The post China permits two new coal power plants per week in 2022 appeared first on Global Energy Monitor ..read more

30 companies responsible for nearly half of the energy sector’s methane emissions The post Methane Corporates appeared first on Global Energy Monitor ..read more