Global Coal Power Falls in 2020

Energy produced by coal around the world has been rising globally over the last decade despite increased efforts for alternative sources like natural gas and renewable energies. New data shows that global coal power produced in 2020 is expected to fall for the first time in recorded history.

According to the nonprofit Global Energy Monitor, global coal production has already fallen by 2.9 Gigawatts during the first six months of 2020. That’s an incredible shift from the last five years, where coal production averaged over 40 Gigawatts per year.

A big factor in the negative coal output is COVID-19, which has caused many plants around the world to pause production and new development. This could have a positive side effect for countries looking to shift to cleaner energies by accelerating renewable resource plans.

Asia has been a global leader in new coal plants over the last decade. China, which has increased its coal output substantially each year, may see production begin to fall over the next five years due to COVID-19 consequences. In total, there are 190 Gigawatts of capacity currently under construction despite a moratorium of new plants called by the United Nations in accordance with Paris climate agreement targets.