Solar and Wind Projects Under Construction in China Have 2x the Capacity of the Rest of the World’s Renewable Energy Projects Combined: Report

Renewable energy projects are rapidly expanding in China, so much so that the country has double the amount of renewable capacity under construction compared to all other countries combined, a new analysis from the non-governmental organization Global Energy Monitor has revealed.

According to the analysis, China currently has 180 gigawatts of utility-scale solar power and 159 gigawatts of wind power under construction. By comparison, the U.S. has 40 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity currently under construction, followed by Brazil with 13 gigawatts, the UK with 10 gigawatts and Spain with 9 gigawatts.

In total, the amount of utility-scale solar and wind capacity under construction in China make up nearly two-thirds of the solar and wind capacity under construction worldwide, the report found.

The report follows the China Electricity Council (CEC)’s predictions from early 2024 that solar and wind capacity would outpace coal in China this year. According to the CEC report, solar and wind capacity in China could make up about 40% of installed energy capacity in the country by the end of 2024, while coal could make up around 37%.

Currently, wind and solar are making up around 37% of total power capacity, and coal makes up around 39%. Wind and solar’s share of total energy capacity increased by around 8% from 2022 to now, the analysis found.

The rapid expansion of renewables in China comes after the country installed nearly double the amount of utility-scale solar and wind capacity in 2023 compared to any other year, Global Energy Monitor reported. From March 2023 to March 2024, the country installed more solar capacity than the solar capacity installed during the three previous years combined, and wind capacity has doubled year-over-year.

While China is making important advancements in renewables and could soon see solar and wind outpace coal, a Greenpeace report from 2023 found that the country was still pursuing new coal projects. According to the Greenpeace report, China approved more coal capacity in the first three months of 2023 alone than it had in the entire year of 2021.

As Global Energy Monitor reported, China’s energy officials have expressed that the country’s energy-related emissions will not intentionally peak before 2030. However, Global Energy Monitor noted that China’s power-related emissions could peak before then, if they haven’t already. The organization cited a Carbon Brief analysis revealing a recent drop in China’s emissions in March 2024 because of solar and wind energy expansion. 

“A 2023 peak in China’s CO2 emissions is possible if the buildout of clean energy sources is kept at the record levels seen last year,” Carbon Brief reported.

Further, Global Energy Monitor found that China could triple its current renewables capacity if it continues the expansion of solar and wind capacity at the rate seen in 2023.

“All told, 2023 saw unprecedented wind and solar growth in China,” Global Energy Monitor concluded. “The unabated wave of construction guarantees that China will continue leading in wind and solar installation in the near future, far ahead of the rest of the world. However, China still needs to turn the massive renewables buildup into power generation, replace fossil fuels, and reach the ‘tipping point’ so as to peak its carbon emissions as early as possible.”