Growing power demand in China and the sheer size of the country’s market showcased what appeared to be countervailing trends — the persistence of coal, and the rise of renewables. New data from Global Energy Monitor and the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air found that developers in China submitted applications to build 161 GW of coal-fired power plants last year, a record. The country’s domestic output also reached a new high last year, up 1.2% on 2024 figures, government data showed.
Yet solar power capacity is forecast to overtake coal this year, according to the China Electricity Council, demonstrating China’s breakneck addition of clean power: Overall, wind, solar, nuclear, and hydropower will account for about two-thirds of the country’s power mix by the end of the year. In order to strengthen the grid as a result of the addition of intermittent renewables, Chinese authorities have also added utility-scale batteries to a subsidy program aimed at accelerating the green transition.