Power capacity hits 4b kW on green push

China's total installed power generation capacity recently reached a historic milestone of 4.01 billion kilowatts, exceeding the combined total capacity of the United States, the European Union, India, Japan and Russia, according to data from the National Energy Administration on Thursday.

The data reveal a remarkably accelerating pace of expansion. While it took the country eight years to grow its capacity from 1 billion kW in 2011 to 2 billion kW in 2019, and five years to hit the 3-billion-kW mark by April 2024, adding the latest 1 billion kW took merely about two years.

Overall, from 2010 to 2025, China's power generation capacity maintained an average annual growth rate of 9.7 percent, outpacing the growth rates of the US, the EU, India, Japan and Russia during the same period.

Industry experts believe that shortening the timeframe to add 1 billion kilowatts of capacity from eight years down to roughly two years is a testament to China's formidable infrastructure construction and equipment manufacturing capabilities.

The fundamental driver behind this acceleration is the explosive growth of new energy, primarily solar and wind power, said Jiang Debin, deputy director of the statistics and data center at the China Electricity Council.

"This not only illustrates the continuous improvement in the efficiency and scale of China's power grid expansion, but also reflects the comprehensive advantages of the country's manufacturing system, engineering prowess and institutional mechanisms," he said.

According to the council, while frequent geopolitical conflicts have triggered energy shortages and price spikes in some countries in recent years, China has maintained a stable power supply.

As electricity demand from emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence and high-end manufacturing continues to surge, this massive 4-billion-kilowatt capacity base provides solid energy security for the country's broader economic and social development, said Jiang.

According to the NEA, this rapid expansion has been overwhelmingly driven by a structural shift toward clean energy, with nonfossil fuels emerging as the main contributor to incremental growth.

Since 2010, nonfossil energy sources have accounted for 74 percent of all newly added capacity nationwide.

Consequently, the country's energy mix has transformed significantly. The proportion of coal-fired power capacity plunged from 61 percent in 2010 to just 32 percent by the end of May. Over the same period, the share of nonfossil fuel capacity soared from 25 percent to 62 percent.

Renewable energy, in particular, has seen massive adoption. Its share of total installed capacity jumped from 24 percent in 2010 to 61 percent by May 2026.

Since 2010, renewables have constituted 73 percent of all new power capacity additions across the country, with solar and wind power alone accounting for 43 percent and 21 percent of the newly added capacity, respectively.

The capacity boom is underpinned by a fundamental shift in unit economics. Over the past 10 years, solar module prices have dropped by over 90 percent, and onshore wind costs are now on par with or cheaper than coal. Driven by technological progress and economies of scale, renewables have transitioned from relying on State subsidies to generating stable profits, igniting broad investor enthusiasm.

This financial viability is backed by the world's most complete renewable supply chain, with China producing roughly 80 percent of global solar modules and 60 percent of wind equipment. Alongside the rapid build-out of ultra-high-voltage transmission and advanced energy storage, this industrial and engineering heft ensures that the country's 4-billion-kilowatt grid can seamlessly integrate and consume the surging clean power supply.

Beyond securing its domestic needs, China's massive power generation capacity is increasingly spilling over its borders through cross-border electricity trade. Leveraging its robust grid infrastructure, the country has steadily expanded power interconnectivity with neighboring countries, particularly in Southeast Asia, according to the council.

This cross-border transmission not only helps alleviate regional power shortages, but also allows neighboring nations to share in China's rapidly growing green energy dividend, it said.

zhengxin@chinadaily.com.cn