Coal-fired power falls below half of China's electricity generation for 1st time

Coal-fired power accounted for less than half of China’s total electricity generation for the first time in the first half of 2026, according to official data released Thursday.

Coal-fired electricity made up 49.7% of China’s total power output between January and June, falling below the 50% threshold for the first time, while total coal-fired generation reached 2.5 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh), the National Energy Administration (NEA) said.

According to Xinhua News Agency, the NEA described the development as a milestone in the country’s shift toward a green and low-carbon energy system.

"The figures reflect the phased progress China has made in expanding non-fossil energy as a substitute for conventional fossil fuel generation," Xing Yiteng, an NEA official, told a news conference.

China’s combined installed wind and solar power capacity reached 1.95 billion kilowatts by the end of June, an increase of 16.8% from a year earlier, the agency said.

Electricity generated from renewable sources rose about 9% year-on-year to nearly 2 trillion kWh during the six-month period.

Renewables accounted for 41.2% of China’s total electricity generation, exceeding the combined electricity consumption of the country’s tertiary sector and urban and rural households.

The latest figures highlight Beijing’s continued investment in renewable energy infrastructure while gradually reducing its reliance on coal, long the backbone of China’s power sector.

China has pledged to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060 as part of its broader climate commitments.