King Coal Reign Has a Ways to Go in at Least One Corner of World

Southeast Asia isn’t ready to quit coal just yet.

The fuel that powered the Industrial Revolution is seeing its importance wane in most parts of the world, as economics and government policies shift more of the energy mix to cleaner-burning natural gas or emission-free wind and solar power. That’s not the case in Southeast Asia, where coal is seen as the biggest-growing fuel source through 2040, according to the International Energy Agency.

Coal’s growth in the region stems from abundant resources in places like Indonesia, relatively low cost and government policies that are weighted more toward increasing access to ...