China sources most of its electricity from coal. In 2023, fossil fuels made up 61 percent of the total electricity in the country. Despite continuing to expand its coal power plant fleet, China has recently redirected its investment efforts towards clean energy initiatives with the aim of reducing pollution and emission levels. From fossil to the future As the largest global polluter, China has designated the development of renewable energy sources as a major objective of its economic policies. Already, the country produced the most renewable energy worldwide. However, as the second-largest economy, it was also the biggest energy consumer, attributed to its population numbers and a large manufacturing sector. (263455) According to the China Electricity Council, a national trade organization, the combined capacity of wind and solar power was going to exceed the projected coal power supply in 2024. Long-distance relationship One of the greatest obstacles to the green energy transition in the PRC is the distance between the green energy sources and its consumers. In general, the country has favorable conditions for the installation of wind and solar power, as the northwestern regions are not only abundant in wind and sun but also host China's hydroelectric dams. Nonetheless, most individuals and institutions lack awareness. However, most people and industry are in the country’s coastal provinces, many thousands of kilometers away. As a result, the country has built the world’s leading ultra-high-voltage electricity transmission system, which allows the transmission of energy over large distances. The longest transmission circuit in China exceeds two thousand kilometers.

China generated approximately 444 terawatt hours of electricity using nuclear power in 2024. Although thermal energy sources such as coal remain the largest contributor to China's energy mix, the use of non-fossil sources notably increased in the past few years. Renewable energy in China In the last two decades, China has raised the capacity and hence the generation volume of electricity from all sources in order to meet ever-growing energy demand. Most of this growth came from thermal sources, nevertheless, renewable energy consumption in China has increased more than tenfold since the early 2000s. In 2024, clean electricity sources accounted for a third of power. This may be evidenced by the significant growth rate of renewable capacity. China's role in the global renewable energy industry In 2021, China's government announced that it was striving towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. Already, China has become one of the leading players in the renewable energy arena, housing multiple major manufacturers. In fact, China accounts for nearly 86 percent of solar PV module production worldwide.

Thermal power plants accounted for the majority of installed power generating capacity in China. As of 2024, thermal power plants, most of which are coal-fired, had a combined capacity of 1,444 gigawatts. This was less than half of the total power generating capacity, which stood at roughly 3.3 terawatts. By comparison, hydropower facilities were the largest renewable energy source by operational capacity.

China Electricity Consumption: per Capita: Average data was reported at 6,257.000 kWh in 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 6,032.000 kWh for 2021. China Electricity Consumption: per Capita: Average data is updated yearly, averaging 1,066.997 kWh from Dec 1978 (Median) to 2022, with 45 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6,257.000 kWh in 2022 and a record low of 261.265 kWh in 1978. China Electricity Consumption: per Capita: Average data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Utility Sector – Table CN.RCB: Electricity Summary.

Electricity generation in China amounted to approximately 9,418 terawatt hours in 2024. This was an increase of nearly 4.6 percent compared to the previous year. Apart from hydropower, all energy sources were more heavily utilized in 2024, with wind and solar power generation growth particularly notable.

China Energy Consumption: Electricity data was reported at 8,835.760 kWh bn in 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 8,520.010 kWh bn for 2021. China Energy Consumption: Electricity data is updated yearly, averaging 1,472.346 kWh bn from Dec 1980 (Median) to 2022, with 43 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 8,835.760 kWh bn in 2022 and a record low of 300.630 kWh bn in 1980. China Energy Consumption: Electricity data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by China Electricity Council. The data is categorized under Global Database’s China – Table CN.RCB: Electricity Consumption.

Forecast: Coal Consumption in Power Generation in China 2022 - 2026 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

Forecast: Average per Capita Energy Consumption of Households in China 2022 - 2026 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

As of 2024, approximately 3,349 gigawatts of electricity generation capacity had been installed in China. This was up from some 3,000 gigawatts the previous year and follows a trend of steady growth over the past decade. Thermal power, the majority of which is coal-based, is the energy source with the greatest power generation capacity in the country. China's surging energy demand China is known to be the most populated country in the world. The country's population growth coupled with rapid economic development has created a huge burden on energy requirements in the country. In less than two decades, energy consumption of China tripled, from less than 43 million exajoules to over 170 exajoules in 2023. Renewable capacity additions In order to cope with the growing energy demand, China has been increasing its capacity and overall generation volume of electricity from a diverse range of energy sources. Although most of this growth came from thermal power, which has been the main source of energy in China for a long time, renewables are expected to make up around 50 percent of total installed capacity by the end of 2022. Deployment of wind and solar farms has been particularly strong in the last few years and comes after President Xi announced in 2021 that China would aim to become carbon neutral by 2060.

Electricity Consumption: Guangxi data was reported at 244.900 kWh bn in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 221.700 kWh bn for 2022. Electricity Consumption: Guangxi data is updated yearly, averaging 80.854 kWh bn from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2023, with 30 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 244.900 kWh bn in 2023 and a record low of 12.558 kWh bn in 1990. Electricity Consumption: Guangxi data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by China Electricity Council. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Utility Sector – Table CN.RCB: Electricity Consumption.

Forecast: Electricity Consumption in Electric Power, Gas and Water Production and Supply in China 2022 - 2026 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

China Electricity: Consumption: Final: Industry data was reported at 5,434.960 kWh bn in 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 5,336.620 kWh bn for 2021. China Electricity: Consumption: Final: Industry data is updated yearly, averaging 1,681.522 kWh bn from Dec 1980 (Median) to 2022, with 35 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5,434.960 kWh bn in 2022 and a record low of 222.900 kWh bn in 1980. China Electricity: Consumption: Final: Industry data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Energy Sector – Table CN.RBC: Electricity Balance Sheet.

Tianjin: Electricity: Consumption data was reported at 105,717.000 kWh mn in 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 102,587.000 kWh mn for 2021. Tianjin: Electricity: Consumption data is updated yearly, averaging 79,448.000 kWh mn from Dec 2004 (Median) to 2022, with 19 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 105,717.000 kWh mn in 2022 and a record low of 35,097.000 kWh mn in 2004. Tianjin: Electricity: Consumption data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Energy Sector – Table CN.RBM: Electricity Balance Sheet: Tianjin.

Forecast: Energy Consumption in Production and Distribution of Electric Power and Heat Power in China 2022 - 2026 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

Sichuan: Electricity: Consumption data was reported at 344,712.000 kWh mn in 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 328,628.000 kWh mn for 2021. Sichuan: Electricity: Consumption data is updated yearly, averaging 200,960.000 kWh mn from Dec 2004 (Median) to 2022, with 19 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 344,712.000 kWh mn in 2022 and a record low of 85,702.000 kWh mn in 2004. Sichuan: Electricity: Consumption data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Energy Sector – Table CN.RBM: Electricity Balance Sheet: Sichuan.

Forecast: Average Annual Energy Consumption for Households in China 2022 - 2026 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

Electricity Consumption: Hainan data was reported at 48.200 kWh bn in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 41.500 kWh bn for 2022. Electricity Consumption: Hainan data is updated yearly, averaging 12.837 kWh bn from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2023, with 30 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 48.200 kWh bn in 2023 and a record low of 1.396 kWh bn in 1990. Electricity Consumption: Hainan data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by China Electricity Council. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Utility Sector – Table CN.RCB: Electricity Consumption.

Clean energy sources account for approximately one-third of China's power production. In 2022, approximately 14.88 percent of total electricity generated originated from hydropower plants. This was a decrease compared to the previous year as rainfall near major rivers had been lower than average. Nevertheless, the clean energy share has continuously increased over the period of consideration, with particular growth of solar and wind power.

Electricity Consumption: Anhui data was reported at 321.400 kWh bn in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 299.300 kWh bn for 2022. Electricity Consumption: Anhui data is updated yearly, averaging 90.559 kWh bn from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2023, with 30 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 321.400 kWh bn in 2023 and a record low of 18.567 kWh bn in 1990. Electricity Consumption: Anhui data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by China Electricity Council. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Utility Sector – Table CN.RCB: Electricity Consumption.

Forecast: Energy Consumption in China 2022 - 2026 Discover more data with ReportLinker!