China’s total installed power generation capacity reached 4.132 billion kilowatts (4,132 GW) by the end of September 2026, marking an 11.2% year-on-year increase, according to data released by the National Energy Administration (NEA) on October 26. The expansion reflects continued growth across the country’s power sector, with solar and wind energy making significant contributions to the increase in installed capacity.
Solar power remained a major driver of capacity expansion during the first nine months of the year. China’s installed solar power generation capacity reached 1,312.87 GW by the end of September, representing a 16.5% increase compared with the same period in 2025. Wind power capacity stood at 699.99 GW, registering stronger annual growth of 20.4%. Together, these figures highlight the continued expansion of renewable energy infrastructure in the country.
Other power generation sources also recorded increases in installed capacity. Thermal power capacity reached approximately 1,590 GW, up 6.0% year-on-year. Hydropower capacity stood at 457.25 GW, reflecting an increase of 3.3%, while nuclear power capacity reached 68.54 GW, marking growth of 9.7% compared with the previous year.
China added 252.93 GW of new power generation capacity between January and September 2026. Solar power accounted for the largest share of these additions, contributing 110.83 GW during the period. Thermal power additions reached 66.25 GW, an increase of 9.57 GW compared with the corresponding period last year. Hydropower capacity increased by 9.16 GW, while nuclear power added 6.02 GW.
The latest figures demonstrate the scale of China’s ongoing power infrastructure development, with renewable energy installations continuing to expand alongside conventional generation sources. The substantial contribution from solar power also indicates the growing role of photovoltaic installations in meeting the country’s long-term electricity requirements.
Alongside capacity expansion, the power sector recorded improvements in thermal power plant operating efficiency. The national average coal consumption rate for power supply declined by 0.3 grams to 305.1 grams per kilowatt-hour. The cumulative auxiliary power consumption rate also decreased by 0.04 percentage points to 4.3%, indicating a modest improvement in the amount of electricity used to operate power generation facilities.
Despite the increase in installed capacity, the average utilization of power generation equipment declined during the reporting period. From January to September, the national average cumulative utilization hours reached 2,174 hours, down 194 hours compared with the same period in 2025. The decline indicates that the expansion of generation capacity has not translated into a corresponding increase in equipment operating hours.
Meanwhile, China’s total heat supply increased by 1.2% year-on-year to 427.12 million gigajoules during the first nine months of 2026. Raw coal consumption for heat supply reached 250.02 million tonnes, representing an annual increase of 1.6%.
The latest NEA data highlights China’s expanding electricity generation capacity, led by solar and wind power, alongside continued reliance on thermal generation. Improvements in thermal plant efficiency and declining equipment utilization hours reflect the changing operational dynamics of the country’s rapidly growing power sector.
