China’s power goal ’26: Solar and wind energy smash records with 22% surge

According to the data shared by the National Energy Administration (NEA), China's newly installed solar and wind energy capacity has hit a record high by exceeding 430 million kilowatts in 2025. Marking a 22 per cent year-on-year surge, this development has provided a massive boost to the renewable energy sector. 

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The China Electricity Council projected China’s installed solar capacity to surpass coal within the next year, with the gap to widen in 2026.

Notably, the rapid rise offered a major boost to both the cumulative grid-connected power capacity of solar and wind energy, lifting them to 1.84 billion kilowatts, which represents 47.3 per cent of the whole installed power capacity of China. For the first time, this development has surpassed the figures on the thermal power chart.

Meanwhile, the NEA reported that in 2025, solar and wind power jointly contributed 22 per cent to the nation's total sum of electricity output.

Liu Deshun, Chief Engineer of the NEA, stated that the development of the new energy storage sector will be prioritised in 2026. It would be part of China’s broader efforts to introduce and establish the rollout of a modern power system.

China’s economic planner, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), issued a guideline in November 2025, which mentioned China’s aim to establish a new power system capable of accommodating a high share of new energy.  This would be accompanied by further improvements in mechanisms for grid regulation and consumption, expected to be effective by 2035.

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