Our Work
CEB helps governments, power asset owners, and funders phase out coal without sacrificing energy security or economic value. We pioneer bankable, scalable deal structures in emerging markets – blending local insights, rigorous technical assessments, and specialized financial expertise to turn early coal exits into powerful catalysts for reinvestment into clean energy, storage, and site repurposing while maintaining robust asset economics.
Clean Energy Bridge is focused on coal power plants in markets that meet the following conditions:
1
There is evidence that restructuring or modifying existing PPAs is feasible to facilitate asset swaps for the C2C transaction
2
The economics of the existing coal power plant are poor compared with zero-carbon alternatives
3
Few organizations are already working with plant owners on coal phaseout initiatives
4
Political and regulatory risk is manageable
5
Operators and Governments indicate interest in engaging in further discussion beyond initial interactions
The Opportunity
The roughly 2,500 coal power plants operating across Eastern Europe and the Global South (except China) represent one of the largest energy transition opportunities in the world today. Plants in India alone have 250 gigawatts (GW) of coal capacity that emit one billion metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (CO₂e) each year. With an average age of just 18 years – well short of the 30-to-50-year lifespans typical in the sector – these facilities are far from retirement. Plants in Southeast Asia contribute substantially as well: 124GW of capacity, 664 million metric tons of CO₂e annually, and an average plant age of only 14 years.
While we estimate the cost of transitioning each of these plants at 3.7 trillion USD, our focus is more targeted: identifying plants where restructuring long-term energy supply contracts, or Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), can open the door to cleaner energy while delivering measurable returns for operators, shareholders, governments, and the public.
~2,500
Coal power plants operating across Eastern Europe and the Global South (except China)
250 GW
Coal capacity in India alone, emitting 1.3 billion metric tons of CO₂e per year
124 GW
Coal capacity in Southeast Asia — 664 million metric tons of CO₂e annually
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Sources
Global Coal Plant Tracker, Global Energy Monitor, January 2026 Release
CEB Analysis
Assumptions
Average power plant utilization of 65%
Average renewables availability of 20%
1.02 metric tons CO₂ per MWh
Capital expenditures of solar = 700 USD/MWp
Capital expenditures of batteries = 100 USD/MWh
8 hours of battery storage
Transmission upgrades and interconnection capital expenditures = 25% of cost
Just transition costs = 15% of cost