China continues lead world wind and solar twice much capacity under construction rest

China is leading global renewable energy deployment with 339 GW of utility-scale solar and wind power under construction, nearly double the capacity of the rest of the world combined. By the first quarter of 2024, wind and solar accounted for 37% of China's total power capacity. While the country is on track to potentially reach 1,200 GW of installed capacity by the end of 2024, significant obstacles remain, including a reliance on coal to mitigate intermittency, insufficient Ultra High Voltage (UHV) transmission lines, and rising curtailment rates in several provinces.

• China has a massive volume of utility-scale renewables under construction, with 180 GW of solar and 159 GW of wind power. This combined total of 339 GW is nearly twice the amount under construction in the rest of the world and represents one-third of all proposed wind and solar capacity in China.
• Wind and solar power now constitute 37% of China's total power capacity as of the first quarter of 2024, an increase of 8% since 2022. This capacity is expected to surpass coal's current share of 39% within 2024.
• China is implementing 'mega wind & solar bases' to scale capacity. The first wave, announced in 2021 across 19 provinces, saw most of its 97 GW begin operating in 2023. Second and third waves are expected to bring approximately 503 GW online between 2025 and 2030.
• Grid integration and transmission remain critical bottlenecks. China relies on coal power to manage renewable intermittency; for example, 30% of the proposed capacity in the second wave of mega bases is coal power, including 28 GW of new coal. Additionally, a lack of Ultra High Voltage (UHV) transmission lines has led to increased curtailment, with the nationwide solar curtailment rate exceeding 5% in March 2024.
• China's rapid deployment may lead to carbon emissions peaking earlier than the official 'before 2030' timeline. One study suggests overall CO2 emissions may have already peaked in 2023, as 90% of power demand increases were met by wind and solar generation.

APA

Prasad, A. Y. S. L. K. O. S. (2024). China continues lead world wind and solar twice much capacity under construction rest. Global Energy Monitor. https://globalenergymonitor.org/research/china-continues-lead-world-wind-and-solar-twice-much-capacity-under-construction-rest

Chicago

Prasad, Aiqun Yu, Sophie Lu, Kasandra O’Malia, Shradhey. China continues lead world wind and solar twice much capacity under construction rest. Global Energy Monitor, 2024. https://globalenergymonitor.org/research/china-continues-lead-world-wind-and-solar-twice-much-capacity-under-construction-rest.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Prasad |first1=Aiqun Yu, Sophie Lu, Kasandra O’Malia, Shradhey |title=China continues lead world wind and solar twice much capacity under construction rest |publisher=Global Energy Monitor |date=29 July 2024 |url=https://globalenergymonitor.org/research/china-continues-lead-world-wind-and-solar-twice-much-capacity-under-construction-rest |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{prasad2024china, author = {Prasad, Aiqun Yu, Sophie Lu, Kasandra O’Malia, Shradhey}, title = {{China continues lead world wind and solar twice much capacity under construction rest}}, institution = {Global Energy Monitor}, year = {2024}, month = jul, url = {https://globalenergymonitor.org/research/china-continues-lead-world-wind-and-solar-twice-much-capacity-under-construction-rest}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }