Renewable energy in China
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China is the world's top electricity producer from renewable energy sources. China's renewable energy capacity is growing faster than its fossil fuels and nuclear power capacity. China installed over 430 GW of renewables in 2025, reaching a total installed renewable capacity of over 2.34 TW by the end of the year. The country aims to achieve peak emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060; emissions may have already peaked in 2024, six years ahead of the 2030 goal.
Although China currently has the world's largest installed capacity of hydro, solar and wind power, its energy needs are so large that fossil fuels still provide the majority of power. In 2020, as a part of the Central Committee's fourteenth five-year plan, a target of 20% total energy production from non-fossil fuel sources by 2025 was set. As of February 2026, China's clean energy capacity reached 52%, exceeding its fossil fuel capacity for the first time.
China sees renewables as a source of energy security and not only a means to reduce carbon emission. Unlike oil, coal and gas, the supplies of which are finite and subject to geopolitical tensions, renewable energy systems can be built and used wherever there is sufficient water, wind, and sun. China also possesses the rare earth deposits, refining capacity, and manufacturing supply chains needed to produce renewables, namely solar and wind, domestically at scale, without risk of foreign bottlenecks.
China is also a major leader of clean energy technology. As Chinese renewable manufacturing has grown, the costs of renewable energy technologies have dropped dramatically due to both innovation and economies of scale from market expansion. In 2015, China became the world's largest producer of photovoltaic power, with 43 GW of total installed capacity. From 2005 to 2014, production of solar cells in China has expanded 100-fold. By late 2025, China's solar manufacturing capacity reached 1,200 GW per year, more than the global yearly demand.
China is the world's largest investor in renewable energy. In 2024, global investment in renewable energy totalled USD $2,033 billion, with China contributing USD $625 billion or 31% of that figure. In 2024, more wind turbines and solar panels were installed in China than in the rest of the world combined. China also leads the renewable energy landscape in patent filings and research publications.