China’s solar energy sector is on track to surpass coal and become the country’s largest power source this year, according to the South China Morning Post.
Total installed solar capacity reached 1.27 billion kilowatts by the end of June and is projected to exceed coal capacity before the end of the year. Solar output grew more than 40% in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period last year, covering a third of peak electricity demand during daytime heat waves.
For the first time on record, coal plants generated less than 50% of total electricity in the first half of the year, producing 2.5 trillion kilowatt-hours.
Under China’s renewable energy roadmap, combined solar and wind capacity is targeted to exceed 2.8 million kilowatts by 2030, up from 1.84 million kilowatts in 2025, with renewables accounting for 30% of electricity generation by decade’s end.
New solar installations fell sharply, however, dropping 66% year-on-year to around 72 gigawatts in the first half of 2026, down from 212.21 gigawatts in the same period last year, according to the National Energy Agency.
