On October 30, 2026, the National Energy Administration held a press conference to officially disclose the core operating data of the national renewable energy industry for the first three quarters. Photovoltaic installed capacity historically surpassed coal-fired power, becoming the largest power source variety in the country.

Renewable energy installation scale jumps to a new level

As of the end of September 2026, the cumulative installed capacity of renewable energy in China has reached 2.518 billion kilowatts, a year-on-year increase of 14.6%, accounting for 60.94% of the total installed capacity of electricity in the country. Among them, the cumulative installed capacity of wind and solar power reached 2.01 billion kilowatts, accounting for 48.66% of the total installed capacity in China. The installed capacity of photovoltaic power generation exceeded 1.31 billion kilowatts, officially surpassing coal-fired power and becoming the largest installed power source in China.

In the first three quarters, the newly installed capacity of renewable energy in China was 180 million kilowatts, accounting for 71.7% of all newly installed capacity and continuing to dominate the absolute position of newly installed capacity. Among them, the total newly installed capacity of wind and solar power reached 170 million kilowatts, accounting for 67.6% of all newly installed capacity. The cumulative grid connected capacity of wind power also reached 700 million kilowatts, a year-on-year increase of 20.4%. The national power structure has completely bid farewell to the traditional pattern of coal-fired power occupying the top position for a long time, and the energy transformation process has reached the fastest speed in history.

Clean electricity becomes the absolute mainstay of electricity growth

In the first three quarters of 2026, the national renewable energy power generation reached 3.13 trillion kilowatt hours, a year-on-year increase of about 8%, accounting for 41.8% of the total power generation. The total scale has exceeded the total electricity consumption of the tertiary industry and residents during the same period, and can stably support nearly 40% of the electricity demand of the whole society. Among them, the total wind and solar power generation reached 1.92 trillion kilowatt hours, a year-on-year increase of 11%, accounting for 23.8% of the total electricity consumption in society, and the scale reached 1.2 times the electricity consumption of the tertiary industry during the same period.

In the first three quarters, the increase in renewable energy generation in China exceeded 250 billion kilowatt hours, accounting for 87.5% of the national power generation increase. Clean electricity has become the core source of national power growth. As a large number of wind and solar projects are gradually connected to the grid, the green background of the national power supply will continue to deepen, providing stable clean power support for the growth of electricity consumption in the whole society.Editor/Cheng Liting