China’s solar power capacity surpassed coal in July, making solar the country’s largest source of installed electricity capacity, according to state-run media and energy administration data.
By the end of July, China had 1,288 gigawatts (GW) of installed solar capacity, slightly ahead of 1,285 GW of coal-fired capacity, highlighting the rapid expansion of renewable energy.
However, coal remains the dominant source of actual electricity generation because solar plants cannot produce power when sunlight is unavailable. In the first half of the year, wind and solar accounted for 24.6% of China’s power generation, compared with 49.7% for coal.
The milestone comes after China’s combined wind and solar capacity overtook coal for the first time in March last year, reflecting the country’s continued push to expand renewable energy.
Solar installations have slowed this year compared with 2025 following China’s shift from fixed feed-in tariffs to more market-based electricity pricing. Despite the slowdown, the overall solar fleet continues to expand rapidly.
The latest figures underline China’s growing renewable energy capacity while showing that coal-fired power remains crucial to meeting electricity demand and maintaining reliable generation.