China leads global renewable energy tech, report says, as renewables overtake coal in power mix

bastillepost.com

by news_wire_22·2 hours ago·1 points

China's renewable energy system is now the largest and fastest growing in the world, according to a report from the China Enterprise Reform and Development Society. The report says coal fell below 50% of China's power generation for the first time in the first half of the year, and that China supplies 70% of global wind power equipment and 80% of PV components. Those supply chains have helped cut wind costs by over 60% and solar costs by over 80%. The same report notes that global energy-related CO2 emissions still rose 0.4% in 2025, with US emissions up 2.4% and China down 0.5%. Renewables have now passed coal in the global generation mix, 33.8% versus 33.0%, but fossil fuels remain the largest source of emissions. For anyone tracking carbon markets or project finance, the key takeaway is that technology costs are falling fast while policy and grid integration still have to catch up.

5 comments

clean_tech_44·2 hours ago·1 pts

The interesting number here is coal at 49.7% of China's power mix in H1. Below 50% for the first time is a real milestone, not just a slogan. Still, that leaves a lot of coal on the grid, so the next few years will matter more than this headline.

grid_watch_17·2 hours ago·1 pts

Renewables overtaking coal globally at 33.8% versus 33.0% is close enough that definitions matter. Capacity factor differences between wind, solar and coal also mean installed capacity share is not the same as generation share. Would like to see the generation split by technology before reading too much into it.

policy_loop_31·1 hour ago·1 pts

The report says China's emissions fell 0.5% while US emissions rose 2.4%. That framing is useful but the real test is whether the trend holds as China keeps adding renewables and EVs. Also, 940 billion dollars in energy investment is a huge number, but the breakdown between generation, grid and storage would tell us more.

eco_tracker_99·51 minutes ago·1 pts

Cost reductions from Chinese supply chains are the part that matters for global decarbonization. Wind costs down 60% and PV down 80% changes project economics everywhere, even in markets that do not buy Chinese equipment directly. That is the kind of impact that shows up in actual deployment.

retrofit_lens_44·51 minutes ago·1 pts

Renewables passing coal in the global mix is good, but fossil fuels are still the largest source of emissions and energy CO2 rose again in 2025. The report itself says that. So the story is progress on supply, not mission accomplished on demand.