Shanxi had established 369 intelligent coal mines as of the end of November 2025, accounting for more than one-third of China's total, according to a provincial press conference regarding high-quality fulfillment of the 14th "Five-Year Plan" held on December 17.

Currently, 84% of Shanxi's coal capacity is classified as advanced, growing 15 percentage points from five years ago.

Over the course of the 14th "Five-Year Plan" period, the province added 150 million tonnes of annual coal production capacity, said the meeting. Total raw coal production amounted to 6.5 billion tonnes, accounting for nearly 30% of national output. Daily coal output stabilized at over 3.5 million tonnes.

More than 2 billion tonnes of power coal were supplied under long-term contracts to 24 provinces and regions, ensuring steady energy provision for China's broader economic and social development.

This comes along with a green transition. Seventy-five demonstration mines have adopted environmentally friendly extraction methods. Over 200 mines have been exploring and piloting diversified green mining technologies.

While reinforcing the backbone role of coal power, Shanxi has aggressively expanded its clean energy capacity. More than 4 GW of outdated coal-fired power units have been decommissioned, while six new 1-GW units have come online. High-capacity units (600 MW or more) now represent about half of the province's installed thermal capacity.

Markedly, January 2025 saw clean energy surpass coal for the first time in total installed power capacity in Shanxi.

Another key move was the establishment of China's first provincial-level electricity spot market, allowing over 20,000 enterprises to engage in transparent, competitive power trading, the meeting noted. This market-oriented mechanism has enabled more rational pricing and efficient matching of supply and demand.

During the 14th "Five-Year Plan" period, Shanxi's net power output exceeded 740 TWh, supplying over 30% to more than 20 provinces and regions and cementing its role in the national "West-to-East" power transmission strategy.

Shanxi also extracted 74.9 billion cubic meters of coalbed methane from 2021-2025, with annual output enough to fuel 50 million households for a year. By the end of 2022, Shanxi became a net supplier of unconventional gas, providing crucial support to national energy security.

Efforts to tap deeper and more complex reserves are accelerating. Shanxi has built six large gas fields, each with annual capacities exceeding 1 billion cu.m. The province's long-distance natural gas pipelines stretch 9,259 km, covering nearly all counties in the province and significantly improving accessibility for residential users.

Over the past five years, Shanxi has pursued a balanced energy strategy, integrating new energy with traditional fuels. It has fast-tracked the development of green coal mining bases, power transmission hubs, and unconventional gas production zones. As a result, its capacity to safeguard national energy security has grown significantly.