China’s Wind and Solar Installed Capacity Hits 1.482 TW, Surpasses Thermal Power for the First Time in Historic Energy Milestone

For the first time in its history, China’s combined installed capacity of wind and solar power has exceeded that of thermal power, a landmark shift underscoring the country’s accelerating transition toward clean energy. According to the latest figures released by the National Energy Administration (NEA), by the end of the first quarter of 2025, the nation’s total installed capacity of wind and photovoltaic (PV) power reached 1.482 billion kilowatts (GW)—outstripping the 1.451 billion kilowatts of installed thermal power.

The surge includes 536 million kilowatts of wind power and 946 million kilowatts of solar PV capacity, highlighting China’s robust investment and scaling in renewable infrastructure. This milestone not only reflects an energy mix transformation but also signals that wind and solar dominance in installed capacity is expected to become the norm in China’s energy landscape moving forward.

In terms of electricity output, wind and solar together generated 536.4 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in the first quarter, accounting for 22.5% of total national electricity consumption. This represents a year-on-year increase of 4.3 percentage points, contributing to a broader rise in non-fossil energy’s share of generation to 39.8%, up 4.8 percentage points from the same period last year.

Despite a modest 2.5% year-on-year increase in electricity consumption, wind and solar generation surged by 111 billion kWh, significantly outpacing the 58.2 billion kWh overall increase in national electricity demand. This demonstrates the growing ability of renewable energy to meet China’s expanding power needs while reducing reliance on fossil fuels.