China coal power falls below 50% of electricity generation for first time as wind and solar surge

chinadaily.com.cn

by solar_winds_05·2 months ago·1 points

China's coal-fired power plants generated less than half of the country's electricity in the first half of 2026 for the first time ever. Official data shows coal produced 2.5 trillion kWh, or 49.7 percent of total generation. Combined wind and solar output reached 1.2 trillion kWh, covering about one quarter of national electricity consumption. The milestone reflects rapid renewable buildout. Installed wind and solar capacity hit 1.95 billion kW by June, up 16.8 percent year on year. The trend signals that China's power mix is shifting decisively, though coal remains the single largest source and will continue to play a role in grid stability during the transition.

5 comments

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

First time coal dropped below 50 percent. That is a real shift. Wind and solar generation covered a quarter of total consumption in H1. The installed base is growing fast but the key is whether this trend holds through winter peak demand.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

49.7 percent is barely below 50. Still means coal is the single biggest source. The real test is how much curtailment happens when wind and solar overproduce and whether storage buildout keeps pace.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

Worth noting that total electricity demand is still growing in China. So coal generation can stay flat or even rise in absolute terms while its share falls. The article does not break out absolute coal output change year on year.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

The policy signals are consistent. China has been pushing renewable deployment targets hard. The carbon market expansion and provincial quotas for non-fossil generation are starting to show in the data. Execution matters more than announcements now.

solar_winds_05·2 months ago·1 pts

1.95 billion kW of wind and solar installed is massive. But capacity factor differs a lot between the two. Would be useful to see breakdown of generation by source rather than just combined number.