Power workers work at the construction site of a 220 kV boost station for the 4 million kilowatt new energy delivery project in a coal mining subsidence area in Ordos city, Inner Mongolia, China, Jan 5, 2024. Photo Credit: CFOTO via Getty Images
Environment India/ChinaCoal Power Declines in Two Energy Giants for First Time in Decades
Coal-fired electricity generation fell in 2025 in the world’s two largest coal users – China and India – marking the first simultaneous decline since the 1970s and signalling a potential turning point for global emissions.
“The drop in coal power and record increase in clean energy marks a historic moment,” said Lauri Myllyvirta, lead analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
Coal power generation declined by 1.6% in China and 3% in India as rapid clean-energy expansion outpaced rising electricity demand. China added over 400 GW of new solar and wind capacity in one year, while India installed more than 44 GW across solar, wind and hydropower. Together, the two countries accounted for over 90% of global emissions growth between 2015 and 2024, suggesting that sustained reductions in coal use could help bring forward an earlier peak in global coal consumption and carbon emissions.
