July 26, 2024 - Growing global electricity demand is keeping coal consumption steady despite a sharp increase in low-carbon power, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency.

The organization reported that the world’s use of coal reached an all-time high last year, led by China and India. Through 2025, coal demand is projected to remain unchanged despite the rapid expansion of wind and solar and a “recovery” in hydropower.

In the U.S., while coal has been in long decline, “stronger electricity demand and less switching from coal to natural gas threaten to slow this trend” this year, IEA said.

“Electricity consumption is growing very strongly in several major economies. Without such rapid growth in electricity demand, we would be seeing a decline in global coal use,” said Keisuke Sadamori, IEA’s director of energy markets and security, in a statement.