china is still burning coal at record levels. 21 gigawatts of coal power brought online in the first six months of 2025 the highest six month level in 9 years

Multiple independent and reliable sources confirm that China has significantly increased its coal power capacity in the first half of 2025. Specifically, reports from Global Energy Monitor (GEM) and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) indicate that China added 21 gigawatts (GW) of coal-fired power generation between January and June 2025. This figure represents the highest six-month level since around 2016, which is roughly a nine-year span. The Economic Times, Channels Television, Deutsche Welle (DW), and Daily News all corroborate this data, citing the same 21 GW figure and contextualizing it as a record increase in recent years.

Additionally, these sources highlight that despite growth in renewable energy capacity, coal power remains a dominant source of electricity generation in China. The Institute for Energy Research (IER) notes that coal-fired plants generated nearly 60% of China's electricity in the first half of 2024, underscoring coal's continued central role. Furthermore, only minimal coal power capacity was retired in early 2025, which contributes to the net increase.

In summary:

This evidence strongly supports the claim that China is still burning coal at record levels with significant new coal power capacity brought online in early 2025.