China and India record first simultaneous fall in coal power since 1973

Coal-fired electricity generation fell in China and India last year, marking the first simultaneous decline in both countries since 1973, analysts at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air said. The analysis, commissioned by the climate news site Carbon Brief, found coal generation dropped by 1.6% in China and 3% in India, driven by a record rollout of clean energy projects.

The report said China added more than 300GW of solar power and 100GW of wind power, while India added 35GW of solar, 6GW of wind and 3.5GW of hydropower. For India, the faster clean-energy growth made up 44% of the reduction in coal and gas compared with the previous five years, the analysis found; about 36% was driven by milder weather and 20% by slower underlying demand growth.

The report warned that a rise in severe summer temperatures could increase air-conditioning demand and reverse the fall in energy demand. The report called the drop in coal power and the record increase in clean energy in China and India a "historic" moment and said it could be "a sign of things to come".

It noted the two countries accounted for more than 90% of the increase in global carbon emissions between 2015 and 2024, so a permanent reduction in coal use could bring a peak in world coal consumption and emissions.

Key Topics

World, China, India, Coal Power, Clean Energy, Solar Power