2020 has not been a nice year for coal power. According to a new study, the size of the global coal power fleet fell for the first time on record over the first six months of the year, with more generation capacity shutting than starting operation.
Global Energy Monitor, a US research and advocacy group that tracks fossil fuel development, found the closure of coal generators closing, mostly across Europe and in the US, outstripped stations being commissioned, largely in Asia.
China, the world’s biggest annual greenhouse gas emitter, continues to dominate coal power development, having built nearly two-thirds of the world’s operating plants and being home to almost 90% of generators under construction. With that said, there is some good news as new construction has ground to a near halt in India, which shut more capacity than it opened.
All in all, the statistics paint a bleak picture for coal, which has seen its decline get accelerated with the reduced demand in energy due to the coronavirus pandemic.
