In a groundbreaking achievement, China concludes 2025 with a staggering 2.34 billion kilowatts of installed renewable energy capacity, as reported by the National Energy Administration. Over the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), the country has pioneered the globe’s biggest and most rapidly expanding renewable energy infrastructure, elevating renewables from 40% to around 60% of its energy portfolio.
Echoing President Xi Jinping’s call, China has prioritized energy security as a cornerstone of economic progress, capitalizing on new energy opportunities for superior growth. This strategy yielded historic breakthroughs in 2025.
Wind and solar installations collectively outpaced thermal power for the first time, ballooning from 530 million kilowatts in 2020 to 1.84 billion in 2025. Energy storage hit a record 100 million kilowatts, representing more than 40% worldwide. Green certificate trading volumes in 2025 alone surpassed all prior years combined.
Key highlights from the Five-Year Plan include vast desert-based wind and solar projects contributing over 130 million kilowatts. Green power now powers 40% of China’s electricity needs. The push for green vehicles has spawned the planet’s most extensive EV charging grid, while refined trading systems for green certificates are fueling demand.
China’s renewable prowess extends globally: its wind and solar exports during this era curbed 410 million tons of carbon emissions abroad. This positions China as a leader in the clean energy revolution, demonstrating how aggressive policy and innovation can reshape energy landscapes and combat climate change on a planetary scale.