Asia’s shift back toward coal is accelerating as the Iran war squeezes global oil and gas flows, with liquefied natural gas shipments and other energy routes constrained by risks around the Strait of Hormuz. In the AP’s reporting, the region’s exposure stems from dependence on imported fuel, much of which transits the chokepoint that handles about a fifth of global oil and natural gas trade. The change reflects a practical effort by governments and utilities to keep electricity running when gas deliveries become harder to secure.
The report notes that LNG—natural gas cooled into liquid form for shipping—has long been positioned as a “bridge fuel” amid a broad energy transition from coal and oil to lower-emissions sources. While LNG burns cleaner than coal, it still releases climate-warming gases, including methane. As the war disrupts supplies, countries are increasingly using coal to cover shortfalls, pushing back against long-term plans built around phasing down coal-fired generation.
Experts warned that the move risks multiple knock-on effects, including more severe smog in major cities, delays in renewable energy expansion, and higher planet-warming emissions. “This kind of crisis is a real sort of warning,” said Julia Skorupska of the global coalition Powering Past Coal Alliance, in comments included in the AP report. In the same account, other researchers argued that relying on coal as a stopgap can lock in infrastructure and make future shocks harder to absorb.
Sandeep Pai, an energy expert at Duke University, said coal functions as an emergency fallback because it is widely available across Asia. In the AP story, India, South Korea, Indonesia and other countries are described as taking steps—ranging from increased coal-fired generation to regulatory or policy changes—to replace or supplement gas and LNG during the disruptions. The reporting ties the broader fuel-switching trend to constraints on LNG deliveries and rising uncertainty in regional energy markets.
China, which both consumes and produces the most coal in the AP account, has added coal power generating capacity since 2021, according to the report, while national policy continues to call for coal use even as clean energy expands. In India, the AP report describes planning for a hot summer and increased reliance on coal to meet peak electricity demand, along with a note that recent liquefied petroleum gas shipments routed through the Strait of Hormuz are expected to flow to industrial uses such as fertilizer rather than power generation.
South Korea’s response described in the AP story includes removing caps on coal-fired electricity when LNG is in short supply, while also reiterating that it has pledged to retire most coal plants by 2040 and halve emissions by 2035. The report adds that renewable growth has lagged in recent years and that companies have faced delays, leaving coal as a near-term option during the disruption. Other parts of the region show similar tradeoffs: Indonesia is prioritizing domestic coal use over exports, while Vietnam and other countries consider alternative import sources amid uncertainty.
The AP report also links the coal turn to pricing pressures, noting that the main coal benchmark used in Asia—Newcastle coal from Australia—has risen 13% since the war began. Experts cited in the story said coal price swings driven by global markets can hit importers and complicate energy planning, especially when supply decisions in one exporter affect regional availability. In Southeast Asia, the report says higher coal costs and supply volatility are raising pressure even where governments have promoted gas or other options as part of their transition strategies.
Health impacts and environmental risks are central to the reporting, with the AP citing the World Health Organization on the dangers of fine particles produced by burning coal. The story describes those particles as lodging deep in the lungs and bloodstream and raising risks of heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and chronic respiratory disease, with additional emphasis on seasonal conditions when burning can worsen air quality. In India, the AP says air pollution concerns have led the government to pause some air-quality rules, while in Vietnam a shop owner in Hanoi described worrying about her asthmatic son’s health.
Within the AP account, the central concern is that coal used now to cover an energy emergency can persist as a long-term pattern, making climate and air-quality goals harder to meet. Coal advocates cited in the reporting argued the shortfall would be worse without coal, while others pointed to the broader lesson that countries need diversified supplies rather than betting on a single fuel pathway. The report frames the current period as a test of how countries balance immediate electricity reliability with long-run commitments to cleaner energy.