Overview
- The China Electricity Council projects solar capacity will exceed coal by year-end as wind, solar, nuclear, and hydropower expand rapidly.
- Developers filed applications for a record 161 GW of new coal plants in 2025, according to Global Energy Monitor and CREA.
- China commissioned an estimated 78 GW of new coal capacity in 2025, the most in a decade, even as clean energy covered all demand growth, CREA reported.
- Regulators have moved to include utility-scale batteries in subsidy programs to help manage intermittency and strengthen grid reliability.
- Analysts say the current coal buildout reflects a lag from earlier permitting aimed at system flexibility, creating overlap with today’s clean-energy surge.