The world’s net capacity additions of coal-fired power generation rose in 2019 for the first time since 2015, due to a surge in the Chinese coal fleet, a new report from environmental organizations shows. Worldwide, a total of 68.3 gigawatts (GW) of new coal power were commissioned last year, with 34.2 GW retired. This shift resulted in a net increase in the global coal fleet of 34.1 GW, according to findings from Global Energy Monitor (GEM), Sierra Club, Greenpeace International, and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). This was the first such increase since 2015, as commissioning increased from 2018 levels and retirements flattened, the report says. As much as 64 percent of the newly-commissioned coal capacity was in China, another 12 percent came from India, and the remaining 24 percent was mainly in Asian countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, and Pakistan. Almost half of the […]