China's Call for More Coal May Defy Climate Goals

China's emergency response to power shortages and demand for more coal are raising questions about its ability to meet its climate change goals. Summer heat waves and floods appear to have set back plans to reduce reliance on coal as China's energy mainstay while the government battles back against soaring demand and rising prices with orders to produce more.

On July 18, the nation's top economic planning agency ordered major power producers to increase their coal stockpiles to at least seven days' worth of consumption by July 21, Reuters reported. "We are in the peak power consumption period and must guarantee coal supply to power plants ... and will not allow the shutdown of power generation units due to a lack of coal," the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said.

The NDRC warning followed record highs in peak-load capacity and power generation on July 14 as regional and provincial power grids strained to keep pace with demand, the official Xinhua news agency reported. More than 22 cities issued schedules for rotating power outages to prevent blackouts, S&P Global Platts news service said.

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