Just five Asian countries are now producing the vast majority of the region’s coal, with little intention of reining in production as several companies invest in new coal plants. According to a study released in June, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, and Vietnam are producing around 80 percent of all Asian coal , with plans to develop over 600 coal power units. Together, the projects are expected to produce around 300 gigawatts of energy. The continued reliance is surprising considering the many alternative energy projects that could be more financially appealing, as the cost of building new coal plants is extremely high considering global aims to reduce reliance on coal power. Carbon Tracker, the London-based think tank that published the report, claims that solar and wind power generate significantly cheaper energy , with costs around 85 percent lower than existing coal production. And by 2026, close to 100 percent of […]