Abandoned coalmines can host over 10% of global solar capacity

A survey of mines closed since 2020 and those planned to close by 2030 present an opportunity for installing nearly 300 GW solar on already-developed lands, finds a report from Global Energy Monitor.

June 18, 2025 Ryan Kennedy

Image: Global Energy Monitor

Globally, energy markets are transitioning away from coal and toward solar energy. In 2024, the world installed a record-breaking 599 GW of solar and has nearly 2 TW in development.

Installed solar capacity has reached over 2 TW worldwide, and a report from Global Energy Monitor finds that abandoned coal mines could host nearly 300 GW of additional solar capacity, nearly 15% of the cumulative global total capacity.

Global Energy Monitor surveyed global coal mine closures since 2020, finding that these sites of scarred land could host 103 GW of solar. It found that coal mines planned to be closed by 2030 could host another 185 GW. Together, this 288 GW solar potential is enough to power the annual needs of a large country like Germany, said the report.

The coal-to-solar industry has the potential to generate an estimated 259,700 permanent jobs in solar, found the report, which is five times larger than the entire coal workforce in the United States. It would also support an estimated 317,500 jobs, more jobs than the entire global coal industry is expected to shed by 2035.

“Constructing solar on upheaved lands isn’t just land reclamation — it’s a chance to align land restoration, clean energy goals, and local job creation,” said Cheng Cheng Wu and Ryan Driskell-Tate, authors of the report.

Global Energy Monitor noted some of this work is already underway. In China, there are 90 operational coal mine-to-solar conversions, adding 14 GW, with another 9 GW in development.

What’s more, all of the abandoned and upcoming closures are in relatively close proximity to existing transmission lines and substations, said the report. Most (96%) of recently abandoned mines are less than 10 km from the grid, and 91% are within 10 km of a grid connection point, such as a substation, it found.

“Today, 3,800 coal mines produce 95% of the world’s coal. With national commitments to phase out coal in 33 countries, the industry will leave behind hundreds of abandoned mines and eventually thousands once mega producers China and India chip away at the industry,” said the report.

In the United States, Global Energy Monitor tracks 217 mines closed since 2020 or expected to close by 2030, representing 988 square kilometers of potential solar sites.

Globally, about one-third of the 438 coal mine sites are suitable for smaller, community-scale solar projects of about 1 MW to 5 MW, whereas the majority are capable of supporting larger, utility-scale solar developments. Nearly 70% possess land areas suitable for solar projects exceeding 50 MW and more than 200 coal mine sites are estimated to have a solar potential greater than 100 MW.

The report notes that while technical potential is high, the actual buildable area depends on legal and ecological factors. It explores how tangled land ownership structures of abandoned mines can present challenges to solar developers.

Cost remains the highest barrier. While the average weighted cost for utility-scale solar, including on greenfield sites runs about $1.5 million per MW, projects on former mine lands often exceed these figures due to remediation needs such as fixing soil instability, uneven terrain, and infrastructure gaps.

“Despite the potential premium, solar development on mine lands remains a compelling strategy. These projects provide the potential to link reclamation with economic renewal in coal-affected regions,” said the report.

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