US EditionHistoric moment as coal power falls simultaneously in China and India
China’s coal power fell 1.6% and India’s declined 3% in 2025 due to record renewable energy growth, marking the first joint annual decrease since 1973.
- For the first time since 1973, China and India recorded year-on-year declines in coal-fired electricity generation last year, with China falling 1.6% and India 3%, CREA reported.
- CREA's analysis found record renewable energy expansion outpaced demand, and in India milder weather and slower growth also reduced coal use last year.
- Data show renewables generation rose 22% to 270 billion units, with India’s coal-fired generation at 1,283 billion units in 2025, a 3% decline from the previous year.
- Both countries now have preconditions to peak coal-fired power, although significant coal capacity remains under construction despite not being needed for India’s 2030 electricity demand, Carbon Brief said.
- Full-Year data remain incomplete, and early signs since last year, including India's post-report surge in coal generation, counsel caution as the International Energy Agency and experts warn coal use could stay near record levels until 2027.
14 Articles
14 Articles
It has been new since the 1970s and - for one thing - good news on the front line of the fight against global warming: in 2025, India and China used less coal to produce their electricity. The reason is an ever-increasing use of renewable energy, which could well mark a turning point in the global energy transition.
In 2025, both China and India will have generated less electricity from coal than the previous year. It will be 52 years since both countries have done this simultaneously. If this trend continues, it could be a major turning point in the fight against climate change. Coal is the energy source with the highest CO2 emissions. China is currently the world's largest greenhouse gas emitter, while India is third.
A historic moment. That's what's happening in China and India. The world's two largest coal consumers are seeing their coal-fired electricity generation decline for the first time since the 1970s, according to a report Tuesday by the climate news website Carbon Brief, which commissioned research on the subject.
Sydney Morning Herald
Brisbane TimesHistoric moment as coal power falls simultaneously in China and India
China’s massive solar cell and battery factors are not only helping it reduce its emissions but are now cutting greenhouse pollution around the world.
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