The National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration recently issued the “Fifteenth Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Coal Industry”, which clearly states that a modern coal industry system will basically be built by 2030. Looking closely at this goal, many people will find a set of seemingly contradictory directions: China continues to push for peak coal consumption, steady carbon reduction, and at the same time has a systematic layout to build a modern coal industry. Should the coal industry “retreat” or “advance”? Looking closely at this plan, we can draw a definite conclusion: coal is still the “ballast stone” that guarantees our country's energy security, but its development methods and role require new changes. Energy transformation requires starting first, then breaking through, and striving for progress in stability. Stabilizing the basic coal market is an inevitable choice based on national conditions. During the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, the structure of China's coal industry continued to be optimized, with output reaching 4.85 billion tons. The number of coal mines in the country was reduced to about 4,000, and the dominant position of large-scale coal mines continued to be consolidated, building a solid energy infrastructure for steady economic and social development. Currently, the installed scale of new energy sources such as wind power and photovoltaics continues to rise, becoming the core force for energy growth. However, the intermittent and fluctuation problems inherent in new energy sources have not been completely solved, and the shortcoming of “relying on the sky for energy supply” still exists. If we compare the new energy system to a competitive field, new energy is the forerunner of breaking through incremental growth and green rise, while coal is the defender that guarantees supply and stabilizes the market. At a time when the new power system is not fully mature and the new energy guarantee capacity has yet to be consolidated, steadily playing the basic energy support role of coal is a real and immediate need to maintain the bottom line of energy security.

The National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration recently issued the “Fifteenth Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Coal Industry”, which clearly states that a modern coal industry system will basically be built by 2030. Looking closely at this goal, many people will find a set of seemingly contradictory directions: China continues to push for peak coal consumption, steady carbon reduction, and at the same time has a systematic layout to build a modern coal industry. Should the coal industry “retreat” or “advance”? Looking closely at this plan, we can draw a definite conclusion: coal is still the “ballast stone” that guarantees our country's energy security, but its development methods and role require new changes. Energy transformation requires starting first, then breaking through, and striving for progress in stability. Stabilizing the basic coal market is an inevitable choice based on national conditions. During the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, the structure of China's coal industry continued to be optimized, with output reaching 4.85 billion tons. The number of coal mines in the country was reduced to about 4,000, and the dominant position of large-scale coal mines continued to be consolidated, building a solid energy infrastructure for steady economic and social development. Currently, the installed scale of new energy sources such as wind power and photovoltaics continues to rise, becoming the core force for energy growth. However, the intermittent and fluctuation problems inherent in new energy sources have not been completely solved, and the shortcoming of “relying on the sky for energy supply” still exists. If we compare the new energy system to a competitive field, new energy is the forerunner of breaking through incremental growth and green rise, while coal is the defender that guarantees supply and stabilizes the market. At a time when the new power system is not fully mature and the new energy guarantee capacity has yet to be consolidated, steadily playing the basic energy support role of coal is a real and immediate need to maintain the bottom line of energy security.