In China, solar power surpasses coal in installed capacity

Solar power has become, for the first time, the leading electricity generation technology in China in terms of installed capacity. By the end of July 2026, China's photovoltaic capacity had reached 1,286 billion kilowatts, or 1.286 gigawatts (GW), compared to 1.285 GW for coal-fired power plants.

This symbolic milestone was announced on September 1st by the National Energy Administration. It illustrates the speed of China's photovoltaic deployment, but does not mean that solar power has already replaced coal in actual electricity production.

A historic overshoot in installed power

The latest statistics published by the National Energy Administration show a total electrical capacity of 4.080 GW at the end of July, an increase of 11% year-on-year.

Installed solar capacity increased by 16,1% to nearly 1.290 GW in official rounded figures. Wind power capacity reached approximately 690 GW at the same time, up 19,5%.

Photovoltaics now account for more than 30% of China's total electricity capacity. It has narrowly overtaken coal and become the country's leading source of electricity generation in terms of nominal power.

Progress continued at a sustained pace during the first seven months of 2026. China installed an additional 86,15 GW of solar and 47,07 GW of wind power. Together, these technologies accounted for nearly 70% of the new electricity capacity commissioned during this period.

Installed capacity and actual production remain very different

Installed power measures the theoretical maximum capacity of equipment under optimal conditions. It does not correspond to the amount of electricity actually produced, which depends in particular on the number of operating hours.

This distinction is particularly important when comparing photovoltaic and coal-fired power plants. Solar production varies according to the time of day, weather conditions, and seasons, whereas a thermal power plant can operate for longer periods and adjust its output to grid demand.

Between January and July 2026, Chinese photovoltaic installations produced 802,4 billion kilowatt-hours, or 802,4 terawatt-hours. This production represented 13% of the national electricity consumption, according to data reported by the official Xinhua news agency.

The National Energy Administration reports a 15,5% increase in photovoltaic production in the first seven months of the year compared to the same period in 2025. Despite this increase, coal retains a central role in the short term to balance the grid and ensure supply when renewable production is insufficient.

The electrical grid is facing intermittency

The rapid growth of solar and wind farms is forcing China to adapt its grids. The main challenges concern electricity transmission between producing regions and major consumption centers, storage, production forecasting, and the ability to quickly mobilize dispatchable resources.

Chinese authorities now want to shift from a strategy primarily focused on installing new capacity to one of better utilizing the electricity produced. The development of batteries, hybrid installations combining solar power and storage, very high-voltage grids, and control tools should help to limit losses and production constraints.

The country aims for approximately 6.000 TWh of annual renewable energy production by 2030. Wind and solar power alone are expected to exceed 4.000 TWh.

A still limited decline in coal

Coal was China's primary source of electricity generation for several decades and remains a major contributor to its greenhouse gas emissions. Its share in the energy mix is ​​gradually decreasing, but its effective replacement is lagging behind the development of renewable energy capacity.

Electricity production from coal is projected to decline by nearly 2% by 2025 despite rising demand, according to data analyzed by AFP. This would have been its first decline in six years.

At the same time, China had installed a record 315 GW of solar and 119 GW of wind power by 2025. According to the China Electricity Council, these two technologies accounted for more than 80% of the new generation capacity commissioned in the country.

As the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, China has committed to reaching peak CO₂ emissions before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060. Overtaking coal with solar power is an important step on this trajectory, but the evolution of actual production and the use of thermal power plants will remain crucial to measuring its effects on emissions.