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The new Global Energy Monitor report, Boom and Bust Coal 2026, just upended a lot of tired talking points. The headline: in 2025 the world commissioned a ten‑year high in new coal‑fired power plants even as overall coal generation ticked down. That’s the kind of news climate alarmists and renewable true believers don’t want stuck in their headlines.
GEM data: more coal capacity, less generation
The GEM report found global coal capacity rose about 3.5 percent in 2025. That is nearly 100 gigawatts of new coal‑fired power added around the world. At the same time coal generation fell roughly 0.6 percent. As GEM’s Christine Shearer put it plainly: “In 2025, the world built more coal and used it less.” The growth was not spread evenly. About 95 percent of the new capacity was in China and India.
Why countries are doubling down on coal
The reason is basic and not very ideological: energy security. Gas prices and supply shocks tied to the Middle East have made many governments nervous. Renewables like wind and solar are great when the sun shines and the wind blows. But when they don’t, you need a reliable backup. GEM calls new coal plants “system insurance,” and that is exactly what leaders are buying. In places from India to parts of Africa, droughts and hydropower shortfalls also nudged governments back to dependable thermal power.
U.S. policy helped keep coal alive — and President Donald Trump is proud of it
The United States was an exception among big economies. U.S. coal‑fired generation jumped by more than 80 terawatt‑hours year‑on‑year, a huge increase. Analysts point to policy choices that kept units online, including emergency orders and postponed retirements. The current administration has also pushed permits for mining projects and spoken favorably about coal’s role in American energy. If you like clean, cheap, and always‑there power, that is welcome news.
What this means going forward
This GEM report should be a wake‑up call. The global energy debate is not purely about virtue signaling. It is about keeping lights on, factories running, and hospitals powered. Policymakers who trade reliability for an ideological purity test do real harm. The ten‑year high in coal commissioning proves one thing: when push comes to shove, nations choose security over slogans. That is not a defeat — it is common sense finally making a comeback.
