China’s Power Industry: Constructing New Coal Plants, Side stepping Climate Goals, and the Concern of Replacing Fossil Fuels

BEIJING (AP) — China’s power industry saw a remarkable leap in construction last year, with nearly 100 gigawatts of new coal plant capacity being built, a figure that surpassed its highest since 2015. This development not only underscores concerns about China’s ability to meet global climate goals but also threatens to Sunder its massive expansion in solar and wind power, which has far outpaced that of the United States and Europe.

The report from two clean-energy groups highlights the difficulty humans hold on to fossil fuels despite the shift toward cleaner energy. The move toward cleaner energy, according to the report, is not merely a replacement for coal but one that clings to an entrenched reliance on fossil fuels, raising the bar for economic growth and reducing the effectiveness of climate actions—a conflict that Premier Xi Jinping articulates in his 2020 climate targets, which include reducing carbon emissions to carbon neutrality by 2060.

Construction on new coal plants is projected to resume in 2024, bringing a significant boost to the world’s largest energy producer. According to a global database of coal plants maintained by the Global Energy Monitor, nearly 95% of new energy projects for coal power plants were completed in 2024, more than it was any year since 2015. The country is also expected to launch around 3.3 gigawatts of suspended projects in the same year, underscoring the dominance of coal as the backbone of the electricity grid.

The report raises concerns about the potential dis ArrayBuffer of fossil fuel generation from coal and solar/wind generation, raising serious questions about China’s role in the green energy landscape. The Chinese government accounts for approximately 93% of coal plant construction in 2024, according to the two clean-energy groups involved, suggesting that global growth in coal projects will slow in the coming years.

The pressure to switch gears to cleaner energy is intensifying, with analysts pointing to the Chinese government as a victim of a U.N. deadline to submit a national plan to cut emissions by 2035 now falling. The poem introduced by Guo Jiakun indicates that the search for a plan is still ongoing for China. However, the government is still working on drafting one in due course, according to reports.

The Chinese pursued increased investments in carbon sequestration technology, which aims to store CO2 underground, to limit global warming. The progress made in energy construction has been met with skepticism by some quarters, including critiques of the energy balance going against its stated goals. Chinese regulators, however, haveугл the economy by offering cheap coking gas to other countries, signaling a shift toward generating electricity from coal, even if it reduces the amount of energy produced.

As the world grapples with its climate crisis, there is a need for greater cooperation among nations to develop cleaner technologies and address carbon emissions. China’s leadership as the world’s largest and only developed economy is still at the forefront of this struggle, but the report suggests that expectations for progress may be gradually weakening due to its reliance on coal and its focus on overcapacity.

In conclusion, the Chinese power industry is taking a significant step forward in building a future dominated by green energy, while its decisions raise urgent questions about its ability to fulfill its climate commitments and the future of global energy.