Coal's share of China's power generation fell below 50% for the first time

According to data published on Thursday 30 July 2026, coal-fired plants accounted for 49.7% of China's total electricity output in the first half of 2026, the first time the share has fallen below 50%.

Coal-fired generation totalled 2.5 trillion kilowatt-hours over the January to June period. Over the same period, renewables made up 41.2% of the country's total power generation. Wind and solar generation exceeded 1.2 trillion kilowatt-hours, close to a quarter of China's total electricity consumption. Combined installed wind and solar capacity reached 1.95 billion kilowatts by the end of June, up 16.8% from a year earlier.

A falling share does not mean falling absolute consumption, however: because China's total electricity demand is still growing rapidly, the country's overall coal consumption could still rise this year. China is the world's largest energy consumer and a major crude oil buyer, so the composition of its energy mix feeds into global fossil fuel demand.