China has unveiled an expanded renewable energy strategy as part of its 15th Five-Year Plan period, which includes a substantial increase in solar and wind power generation targets through the end of the decade. The plan, jointly issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration in July, calls for a 53 percent rise in solar and wind production by 2030. This expansion would bring China’s total renewable energy output to 1.8 billion tons of coal equivalent, up from 1.18 billion tce in 2025.
The country’s renewable energy infrastructure has grown significantly in recent years. China installed approximately 360 GW of combined wind and solar capacity in 2024 alone, representing over half of all global renewable additions that year. The nation now maintains roughly 1.4 terawatts of installed renewable capacity, equivalent to approximately one-third of worldwide capacity. The government is prioritizing energy storage systems, virtual power plants, electric vehicles, and other supporting technologies to facilitate renewable energy deployment.
Beyond electricity generation, the plan incorporates renewable energy applications across multiple sectors, including heating, cooling, and green hydrogen production. China aims to produce 2 million metric tons of green hydrogen by 2030 and increase hydropower capacity to 570 GW. The country has substantial renewable infrastructure in development, including approximately 664 GW of solar projects and nearly 700 GW of wind projects in various stages of planning and construction.
However, the expansion of renewable energy capacity occurs alongside continued growth in coal operations. In 2025, China represented 78 percent of global coal power capacity additions and currently accounts for 86 percent of coal capacity under construction worldwide. Coal power output increased in early 2026, with power-sector emissions rising during the first four months of the year, though remaining below 2024 levels. Some analysts question whether the installed renewable capacity is being fully utilized, raising concerns about whether simultaneous coal expansion could undermine the government’s emissions reduction objectives and its stated goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060.
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