Worldwide Growth in Coal Plants Continued in 2025 Despite Lower Generation
The number of coal-fired power plants continued to grow on a global basis in 2025 but, despite the increase, the amount of energy generation from fossil fuels fell.
A new report from Global Energy Monitor (GEM) found that while global coal capacity increased by 3.5% in total 2025, coal-fired generation fell by 0.6%. This divergence was most pronounced in China and India, where record-breaking wind and solar additions met almost all new demand, displacing coal even as plant commissioning reached decade-highs.
Coal produces significantly more CO2 per unit of energy than other fossil fuels, such as oil and natural gas, because it contains a higher carbon content. Climate experts have said that countries need to move away from coal or risk failing to reduce carbon emissions enough to tackle climate change.
Despite this, many countries are still building new plants, China’s state planner and energy regulator has said that new coal-fired power will be necessary during the transition away from fossil fuels to meet peak power demand and stabilise the grid. In all, China has more than 500 GW of coal-fired capacity in development. If built, the projects would commit China to years of coal expansion well into its 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–2030), during which the government has pledged to reduce coal consumption.
Furthermore, although US coal capacity shrank slightly in 2025, its generation grew substantially. This was largely due to a historic surge in overall US electricity demand due to a boom in data centres as well as increases to natural gas prices in the wake of the Iran war.
In 2025, only 32 countries were proposing or building new coal plants – down from 38 the prior year and less than half of the 75 countries doing so in 2014. Just 5% of global coal power construction is outside China and India. Latin America achieved No New Coal status in 2025 and South Korea has committed to a full phaseout, accelerating the trend of countries formally exiting coal development.
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Coal Developer Coronado Sells Non-Core Logan Mining Complex to Focus on Met Coal
ASX-listed Coronado Global Resources has signed an agreement to divest ownership of its coal assets comprising the Logan Mining Complex in West Virginia.
Coronado agreed to sell 100% of its interest in Coronado Coal – the entity holding the Logan Mining Complex – to Phoenix Coal Holdings, which is a Kentucky-based company owned by coal stalwart Mitch Potter.
The Logan Mining Complex comprises coal mining properties, leases, mining permits and related infrastructure, including a preparation plant and loadout facility.
The consideration for the sale will comprise of nominal cash together with the assumption by the purchaser of certain liabilities, including reclamation and post-closing operational obligations.
The transaction is expected to be free cash flow positive for Coronado, given the elimination of care-and-maintenance costs, holding costs and future obligations associated with the mine.
The sale aligns with Coronado’s ongoing strategy to optimize its asset portfolio and focus on core, higher-return metallurgical coal operations.
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West Virginia Coal Festival Hosts Annual Kids Pageant
An annual Mountain State tradition is just under a month away, the Boone County community is getting ready for the West Virginia Coal Festival with this year’s kids pageant!
The event kicked off at noon Saturday. Each year, it gives kids ages six and down to under a year a chance to work the stage and compete for some prizes. The event kicked off at noon with the youngest contestants going first.
At the pageant, Mrs. West Virginia Coal Festival Sara Stinnet says there’s a benefit to having these pageants in the kids’ local community.
“Absolutely it’s a great experience. It’s great for the community. It’s great for the girls to build their confidence and stage presence,” she said. “I would like to tell everyone to come out to the Coal Festival in Madison, West Virginia! We’ll have a lot of bands there, a lot of food, there’s a big carnival.”
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Coal Executives Panel Optimistic for Future
Coal executives from five metallurgical coal production companies agreed while the industry is facing headwinds now with low market prices, there are still opportunities to shine in the future. The panelists, which included executives from Alpha Metallurgical Resources, Robindale Energy, Allegheny Met, Blackhawk Mining and RAMACO Resources gave their thoughts on the current state of the coal industry and its future during a panel discussion Wednesday morning on the closing day of the 2026 Metallurgical Coal Producers Association (MCPA) conference in Roanoke, WV.
The importance of Met coal in the production of the steel and the need for steel in infrastructure, construction and defense were pointed to in the discussion time and again. Those needs are not going away, but continue to increase, not only nationally, but globally as well, they noted. Panelists included Andy Eidson, Alpha Metallurgical Resources; Cris Anderson, Robindale Energy; Perry Longacre, Allegheny Met; Charlie Bearse, Blackhawk Mining; and Scott Kreutzer, RAMACO Resources.
“Right now is not forever,” Eidson told conference attendees, referencing current market conditions for Met coal and the capacity the industry has to weather market cycles. “Times may not be great now, but right now is not forever. We were built for this and have been for 150 years. We have gone through it before, but it’s a great industry with great people throughout it and that’s what keeps me excited and encouraged about going forward. There’s a lot for us to take heart in as we prepare for the next evolution of this industry.”
Coal Executives, from left, Andy Eidson, Alpha Metallurgical Resources; Cris Anderson, Robindale Energy; Perry Longacre, Allegheny Met; Charlie Bearse, Blackhawk Mining; and Scott Kreutzer, RAMACO Resources, give their thoughts on the current state of the coal industry and its future during a panel discussion Wednesday on the closing day of the 2026 Metallurgical Coal Producers Association (MCPA) conference in Roanoke, WV.
Longacre echoed those comments, noting, “it really is about confidence in our industry and the assets we operate. Our job as executives is to help inspire that confidence. From our employees to our associations, it’s probably the time when our voice needs to be strongest.”
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Coal’s New Role in the Global Energy Security Era
The Iran war is reshaping global energy markets and accelerating a trend many analysts underestimated: coal’s resurgence as a strategic alternative not just to natural gas but increasingly to oil itself.
As conflict in the Middle East threatens shipping routes and injects fresh volatility into LNG and petroleum markets, countries across Asia are pivoting to coal. Just this week, The Wall Street Journal jumped on the trend, explaining how rising fuel costs and fears of supply disruptions are pushing utilities and governments to increase coal consumption, driving a sharp rise in global coal trade.
But as we have explained previously, this is about far more than electricity generation.
Keep a close eye on coal’s growing role as a substitute for imported natural gas, petrochemicals and even transportation fuels. Increasingly, countries are not simply generating more power with coal — they are transforming it into synthetic gas, chemicals, methanol, fertilizers and liquid fuels.
India’s latest policy announcement makes that unmistakably clear.
The Gasification Surge
Earlier this month, New Delhi approved a nearly $4 billion initiative to expand coal gasification capacity. The goal is to convert coal into synthetic gas and industrial feedstocks that would otherwise depend on volatile LNG and oil markets. India is also advancing coal-to-chemicals and coal-to-liquids technologies as part of a broader strategy to insulate its economy from geopolitical energy shocks. Fertilizer production is at the very heart of this effort.
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