China coal share falls below 50% in H1 as renewables expand

Wind and solar capacity reached 1.95 billion kilowatts by June.

Coal-fired power accounted for 49.7% of China's total electricity generation in the first half (H1) of 2026, the first time its share has fallen below 50%, according to data from the National Energy Administration (NEA) reported by Xinhua.

Coal-fired power generation totalled 2.5 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh) during the period, which NEA said reflected progress in expanding non-fossil energy to replace conventional fossil fuel generation.

Installed wind and solar capacity reached a combined 1.95 billion kilowatts by the end of June, up 16.8% year on year, whilst renewable electricity generation rose about 9% to nearly 2 trillion kWh.

Renewable energy accounted for 41.2% of China's total electricity generation, exceeding the combined electricity consumption of the tertiary sector and urban and rural households.

China has also pledged to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.