World coal power demand to hit new high after China, India, US surge

SHANGHAI: Rising consumption in China, India and the United States could bring global coal-fired power demand to a new all-time high this year, undermining efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Friday.

The IEA said global power generation from coal was expected to reach 10,350 terawatt-hours in 2021, up 9%, driven by a rapid economic recovery that has "pushed up electricity demand much faster than low-carbon supplies can keep up."