More Coal Reality, With Seven New Charts

Global coal-fired capacity keeps growing. Plus, charts on China’s staggering electricity use, alt-energy spending, and Minnesota’s impossible CO2 target.

A coal-fired power plant in Shanxi Province. China is now building 227 gigawatts of new coal-fired capacity. Credit: Powermag.com/Alamy.

I’ve had a busy summer with lots of travel and speaking engagements. I’m back in Austin for a couple of weeks and am happily catching my breath, and catching up on my reading and research. Today’s piece features seven new charts. The first looks at the staggering quantity of new coal-fired capacity currently under construction worldwide in comparison to new nuclear capacity. I also have charts on coal- and gas-fired capacity in China and India, a chart illustrating China’s soaring electricity use, as well as one on global energy investment, and two charts on the CO2 silliness in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

Let’s take a look.