China, Beijing: Solar power overtook coal in July to become China’s largest source of installed power capacity, according to energy administration figures and state-run media.
China had 1,288 GW of installed solar capacity at the end of July, compared with 1,285 GW of coal capacity.
Solar still contributes substantially less electricity than coal because generation depends on available sunlight. Wind and solar together accounted for 24.6 % of China’s electricity generation in the first half of the year, while coal contributed 49.7 %. This marked the first time coal’s share of electricity generation had fallen below 50 %.
Combined wind and solar capacity had already surpassed coal in March 2025.
Growth in new solar installations has slowed this year compared with 2025 following China’s shift from fixed feed-in tariffs towards market-based pricing. However, the country’s total installed solar fleet has continued to expand.
Source: Reuters
