By the end of March 2025, China’s total installed power generation capacity had reached 3.43 billion kilowatts (kW), marking a 14.6% increase from the previous year. For the first time, the combined capacity of solar and wind power plants—totaling 1.48 billion kW—surpassed that of thermal power, which is still primarily coal-based. Solar installations alone accounted for 950 million kW, up 43.4%, while wind power reached 540 million kW, a 17.2% rise.
Despite the growing share of renewables in China’s energy mix, their contribution to actual electricity generation remains limited. In the first quarter of 2025, only 22.5% of electricity supplied to consumers came from solar and wind sources. This is largely because coal-fired power plants continue to be prioritized in energy distribution.
China’s major power producers invested 132.2 billion yuan ($18.34 billion) in electricity generation during the first three months of the year—2.5% less than the same period last year. However, investment in power grid infrastructure rose by 24.8%, reaching 95.6 billion yuan ($13.12 billion), signaling efforts to better integrate renewables into the national grid.
China remains one of the few countries still building new coal power plants, yet it is also outpacing its own renewable energy goals. The 1,200-gigawatt target for renewable capacity, originally set for 2030, was already met in 2024.
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