China vs United States: Total coal capacity by plant status (MW) - Operating
Total coal capacity by plant status (MW) - Operating over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
China currently reports 1.04 million against 233,621 in United States, a difference of 809,329.
That makes China's figure about 4.5 times United States's.
Across all 7 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 1st and United States ranks 2nd of 75 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 926,300 | 283,049 | 643,251 | China |
| 2020s | 1.04 million | 233,621 | 809,329 | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total coal capacity by plant status (mw) - operating, China or United States?
- China, at 1.04 million against 233,621 in United States as of 2020.
- What is the difference in total coal capacity by plant status (mw) - operating between China and United States?
- 809,329, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 7 years are reported by both, from 2014 to 2020.
- How do China and United States rank globally for total coal capacity by plant status (mw) - operating?
- China ranks 1st and United States ranks 2nd of 75 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Coal Plant Tracker, Global Energy Monitor. Available at: https://globalenergymonitor.org/projects/global-coal-plant-tracker/, published as Total coal capacity by plant status (MW) - Operating. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total coal capacity by plant status is generated from the Global Coal Plant Tracker (GCPT). The GCPT provides information on coal-fired power units from around the world generating 30 megawatts and above. The GCPT catalogues every operating coal-fired generating unit, every new unit proposed since 2010, and every unit retired since 2000. Units often consist of a boiler and turbine, and several units may make up one coal-fired power station. The map and underlying data is updated bi-annually, in January and July. Each plant included in the tracker is linked to a wiki page on GEM.wiki, which provides additional details. GCPT was accessed in July 2021 to generate this data.