Coal power share falls below 50% of China's electricity generation for first time

(ECNS) -- Coal-fired power accounted for 49.7% of China's total electricity generation in the first half of 2026, marking the first time the share has dropped below 50% for a half-year period, an official of the National Energy Administration said at a press conference on Thursday.

By the end of June, China's combined installed capacity of wind and solar power reached 1.95 billion kilowatts, up 16.8% from a year earlier, said Xing Yiteng, deputy director general of the department of development and planning at the National Energy Administration.

In the first half, wind and solar power generation exceeded 1.2 trillion kilowatt-hours, accounting for about a quarter of the country's total electricity consumption, while coal power generation reached 2.5 trillion kilowatt-hours, Xing noted.

(By Tang Yuxian)