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Accelerating Your Energy Transition, China Reaches 1.4 Terawatts (TW) in Installed Capacity of Solar and Wind Energy and Surpasses for the First Time the Power of Thermoelectric Plants in the Country.
China’s energy matrix recorded an unprecedented milestone at the end of March 2025: for the first time, the installed capacity of renewable sources — solar photovoltaic and wind energy — surpassed that of thermoelectric plants.
According to data released by the National Energy Administration (NEA), the Asian country reached a combined 1.4 terawatts (TW) of solar and wind energy, highlighting the accelerated progress of clean sources over traditional ones, such as coal.
Renewables Gain Strength and Increase Share in Electricity Consumption
In the first quarter of 2025, electricity production from wind and solar energy totaled 536 terawatt-hours (TWh), equivalent to 22.5% of China’s total electricity consumption.
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This figure represents a jump of 4.3 percentage points compared to the same period in 2024, highlighting the growing importance of these sources in the country’s energy system.
Specifically, solar photovoltaic energy exhibited remarkable performance: its installed capacity reached 950 gigawatts (GW), representing an annual increase of 43.4%. Wind energy reached 540 GW, growing 17.2% compared to the first quarter of the previous year.
Investments and Global Leadership in Clean Energy
Despite the advancement, investments in new projects experienced a slight downturn.
The leading energy companies in China allocated approximately US$ 18.34 billion to new ventures in the generation sector in the first quarter of 2025, a decline of 2.5% compared to the same period in 2024.
Still, China maintains its position as the global leader in renewable energy.
According to the NEA, the total installed capacity of renewable sources in the country reached 1.41 TW at the end of 2024 — a number that represents 40% of the entire national electrical matrix and already surpasses the power of thermoelectric plants, especially coal-fired plants.
Although significant, this figure is still lower than that reported by the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena), which indicated 1.8 TW of operational capacity in the country.
Accelerated Growth and Technological Dominance
The growth of renewable sources in Chinese territory is striking. Since 2013, the installed capacity of wind energy has increased sixfold, while solar photovoltaic energy has surged more than 180 times. In 2024, the new installations accounted for more than 40% of the total capacity added worldwide.
In addition to internal expansion, China also leads in the global supply of technology for renewable generation.
The country is currently the world’s largest manufacturer of equipment such as wind turbines and solar panels, consolidating its influence not only in generation but also in the production chain of the energy sector.
With information from Portal Solar
