China's total installed power capacity nears 4 billion kW in Q1 2026

China's total installed power generation capacity reached nearly 4 billion kilowatts (kW) by the end of the first quarter of 2026, maintaining its position as the world's largest power system and accounting for nearly 30% of the global total.

The figure is roughly three times that of the United States. China took nearly eight years to expand installed capacity from 1 billion kW to 2 billion kW, less than five years to rise from 2 billion kW to 3 billion kW, and is expected to need only about two years to approach 4 billion kW, highlighting rapid growth in energy supply capacity.

China's energy mix is also becoming cleaner. In the first quarter, electricity generated by above-designated-size industrial hydropower, nuclear, wind and solar facilities reached 700 billion kilowatt-hours, up 2.8% year on year. The share of clean energy in total power generation continued to rise.

The record-high installed capacity has been driven largely by rapid growth in renewable energy, especially wind and solar power.

Since the start of this year, China has accelerated offshore wind development into deep-sea areas more than 85 kilometers from shore. However, transmitting electricity safely back to land and integrating it into the grid remains a key challenge.

Li Qiang, party secretary of the Offshore Wind Power Technology Laboratory at State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Research Institute, said wind power's impacts on grid stability increase by 20% for every additional 10 kilometers offshore, while internationally recognized grid-connection methods have struggled to address the issue.

Researchers at the Jiangsu laboratory are working on new grid-connection technologies, with high-speed rotating motors serving as the core equipment.

China's installed solar power capacity has now exceeded 1.23 billion kilowatts. Meanwhile, its wind power capacity has surpassed 650 million kilowatts. Combined, the two account for nearly half of the country's total installed power capacity.

This year's government work report mentioned the concept of "future energy" for the first time. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), China plans to accelerate the development of hydrogen energy and controllable nuclear fusion, aiming to further strengthen national energy security.

Currently, about a third of electricity consumed in China comes from green power. By 2030, at the end of the plan period, about half of the electricity is expected to come from non-fossil energy sources, with China set to establish a preliminary new energy system by then.