After three years of growth and a record high of over 10 000 TWh in 2018, coal-fired power generation dropped by 3% in 2019.
Although coal generation plummeted in the United States and Europe, growth in China and other parts of Asia kept coal firmly in place as the largest source (36%) of power generation.
That said, spending on coal-fired power reached a decade low and final investment decisions for new plants continued to decline. Preliminary IEA analysis indicates a sharp drop in power sector coal demand in 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 crisis, with coal showing the greatest uncertainty of all fuels used for power. Looking ahead, coal-fired generation without CCUS needs to decrease 5.3% per year to 2030 to be in line with the SDS.
Image title: Share of coal-fired power generation in the Sustainable Development Scenario, 2000-2040
Source: IEA (read full analysis HERE)
