China added almost twice as much utility-scale solar and wind power capacity in 2023 than in any other year. By the first quarter of 2024, China’s total utility-scale solar and wind capacity reached 758 GW, though data from China Electricity Council put the total capacity, including distributed solar, at 1,120 GW.
Wind and solar now account for 37% of the total power capacity in the country, an 8% increase from 2022, and widely expected to surpass coal capacity, which is 39% of the total right now, in 2024. Cumulative annual utility-scale solar & wind power capacity in China, in gigawatts (GW)
In 2023, clean power made up 35% of China’s electricity mix, with hydro the largest single source of clean power at 13%. Wind and solar hit a new record share of 16%, above the global average (13%). China generated 37% of global wind and solar electricity in 2023, enough to power Japan.
China can now make more solar power than the rest of the world. Data released by China’s National Agency last week revealed that the country’s solar electric power generation capacity grew by a staggering 55.2 percent in 2023. The numbers highlight over 216 gigawatts (GW) of solar power China built during the year.
nth.By the end of April 2024, China total installed wind + solar capacity reached 1129GW.If this pace sustains or accelerates in the rest of the year, China will achieve its 200GW of installed wind and solar capacity by 2030 target this year, 6 years ahead of time.Zero e
The latest plans suggest China is on track to double its wind and solar capacity by 2030, reaching an estimated 30% share. The IEA’s Net Zero Emissions scenario sets out a global target of 40% of electricity generation from solar and wind by 2030. Explore the latest data on China’s energy transition.