China renewable energy share exceeds 40% in first half of 2026

In the first half of 2026, renewable energy sources accounted for 41.2% of China's total electricity production, marking the first time the country's semi-annual share of renewables has exceeded 40%. This milestone was driven largely by rapid expansions in solar and wind power, which saw a 16.8% increase in combined capacity compared to the previous year.

During this period, renewable sources produced nearly 2 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity, approximately 9% more than in the same period of the previous year. Consequently, the share of coal-fired power plants fell to 49.7%, dropping below the 50% threshold for the first time in history. While renewables have not yet overtaken coal in total output, the gap between the two sources has narrowed to less than 9 percentage points.

According to the National Energy Administration, China aims to derive half of its electricity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030, with renewables expected to provide nearly half of the total production.