China Beats 2030 Wind Solar Goal Early

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China hits major energy turning point as wind and solar capacity reaches 1.482 billion kilowatts, surpassing thermal power for the first time in history.

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The renewable milestone comes nearly six years ahead of schedule, with China blowing past its 2030 target of 1,200 gigawatts of wind and solar.

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Despite leading in capacity, wind and solar only generated 22.5% of China's electricity in Q1 2025, revealing the gap between installation and actual power production.

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China added a whopping 357 gigawatts of wind and solar in 2024 alone – ten times more than all U.S. additions during the same period.

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Grid limitations cause China to waste renewable energy, as systems can't fully handle the surge of new wind and solar connections.

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Coal isn't going away – China began building 99.5 gigawatts of new coal plants in 2024, representing 93% of all new coal projects globally.

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President Xi Jinping promised China's climate efforts "will not slow down" regardless of international politics, with new commitments coming before November's COP30.3

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Since 2013, China's wind capacity grew sixfold while solar capacity exploded by more than 180 times, dominating global renewable expansion.

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Expert Lauri Myllyvirta warns that China remains "badly off track" on climate targets, with new coal plants potentially "crowding out" clean energy growth.

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For business watchers, China faces the complex balancing act of managing its massive industrial energy needs while pushing ahead on climate goals.

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