Podcast Episode
The milestone places the world's largest carbon emitter alongside Brazil, France, and Germany as economies where clean energy dominates installed capacity. China's total power capacity reached three thousand eight hundred and ninety gigawatts in 2025, driven by extraordinary growth in renewables. Solar capacity surged thirty-five percent to one thousand two hundred gigawatts, while wind capacity climbed twenty-three percent to six hundred and forty gigawatts.
As of January 2026, China had one thousand two hundred and forty-three gigawatts of operating coal capacity, with an additional two hundred and ninety-one gigawatts in the construction pipeline. The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air notes that coal's share in actual power generation has fallen to record lows, but new capacity additions remain stubbornly high.
China's Clean Energy Capacity Overtakes Fossil Fuels for the First Time
February 17, 2026
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China has reached a historic energy milestone, with clean energy sources now accounting for fifty-two percent of total installed power capacity, surpassing fossil fuels for the first time. However, the world's largest emitter continues building coal plants at record levels, highlighting deep tensions between climate goals and energy security.
A Historic Crossover
China has crossed a landmark threshold in its energy transition. As of February 2026, non-fossil fuel sources now account for fifty-two percent of the country's total operating power capacity, while coal, natural gas, and other fossil fuels make up the remaining forty-eight percent, according to data from Global Energy Monitor.The milestone places the world's largest carbon emitter alongside Brazil, France, and Germany as economies where clean energy dominates installed capacity. China's total power capacity reached three thousand eight hundred and ninety gigawatts in 2025, driven by extraordinary growth in renewables. Solar capacity surged thirty-five percent to one thousand two hundred gigawatts, while wind capacity climbed twenty-three percent to six hundred and forty gigawatts.
The Coal Paradox
Yet beneath the headline achievement lies a striking contradiction. Even as clean energy surges ahead, China's coal power sector remains deeply entrenched. In 2025, new and reactivated coal power proposals reached a record one hundred and sixty-one gigawatts, and the country commissioned approximately seventy-eight gigawatts of new coal capacity, the highest annual level in a decade.As of January 2026, China had one thousand two hundred and forty-three gigawatts of operating coal capacity, with an additional two hundred and ninety-one gigawatts in the construction pipeline. The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air notes that coal's share in actual power generation has fallen to record lows, but new capacity additions remain stubbornly high.
Energy Security at the Heart
The paradox is rooted in Beijing's concerns about grid stability. After power shortages and blackouts in 2021 and 2022, officials view coal as essential insurance against periods of low hydropower output or surging demand. Many new coal plants are designed for regulation or support functions rather than baseload generation, operating only during peak demand periods.Looking Ahead
The China Electricity Council projects that solar capacity alone will exceed coal in 2026, with non-fossil sources potentially reaching sixty-three percent of the power mix by the end of the year. Analysts suggest China's carbon dioxide emissions may have already peaked, years ahead of its official before-2030 target, though continued coal construction could complicate that trajectory.Published February 17, 2026 at 4:07pm
