The share of coal in China’s electricity output fell in the first half of 2026 to below 50% for the first time on record, in a landmark achievement of the Chinese policy to boost non-fossil power sources.
The share of coal averaged 49.7% of China’s total electricity output in the first half of this year, official data showed on Thursday.
As the share of coal slipped, electricity generation from renewable energy rose by about 9% from a year earlier, according to the data from China’s National Energy Administration (NEA).
Renewable energy accounted for 41.2% of China’s total electricity generation in the first half of 2026, with wind and solar combined generating almost 25% of the total power output.
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“The latest figures underscore the accelerating pace of China’s green and low-carbon energy transition, as the country continues to expand renewable energy capacity while reducing its reliance on coal,” China’s news agency Xinhua reported, commenting on the figures.
Despite the milestone of reducing coal power output to below 50% of total generation for the first time ever, China continues to rely on coal for power for industry and to maintain the reliability of the power grids.
Chinese authorities are not restricting coal power growth in the new five-year energy plan as Beijing doubles down on the fossil fuel as a “bottom-line guarantee” of the electricity system amid rising shares of renewable power.
China has unveiled its five-year plan for the energy sector, expecting renewable energy to boost its share of electricity supply by 2031, but also noting that it would aim to strengthen the role of coal as a “bottom-line guarantee”.
China targets clean energy to account for 30% of its power generation by 2030, up from about 22% at present. While wind and solar are set to become the “mainstay” of the electricity mix, coal will continue to grow and act increasingly as a flexible backstop to boost energy security.
Beijing continues to rely on coal to meet its demand and fill in gaps whenever renewables falter, as was the case with wind power in recent months or with hydropower two years ago and amid the current heat waves in large parts of the country.
By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com
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