China’s Wind and Solar Output Covered 64% of Power Demand Growth

China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) announced Oct. 26 that wind and solar generation growth accounted for 64% of the increase in electricity consumption during the first nine months of 2026, as combined installed capacity topped 2 terawatts.

Combined wind and solar capacity reached 2.01 terawatts (TW) as of Sept. 30, after China added about 170 gigawatts (GW) from January through September 2026. The sources generated 1.9333 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in that period, an increase of 193.7 billion kWh from a year earlier.

That 193.7 billion kWh increase equaled 64% of the rise in China’s electricity consumption over the same period. The percentage measures the contribution of additional wind and solar generation to demand growth; it is not the share of all electricity consumed in China. China’s total electricity consumption also increased year over year during the nine-month period, and the comparison uses that increase as its denominator. Installed capacity measures a power source’s generating capability, while kWh records output over time, so the figures describe different parts of the system.

Solar capacity was 1.31 TW at the end of September, up 16.5% year over year. Wind capacity totaled 700 GW, a 20.4% annual increase. Solar had the larger installed base, while wind posted the faster growth rate during the 12 months to Sept. 30.

On China’s peak summer electricity-demand day in 2026, combined wind and solar output around midday exceeded 40% of system load at that time. The figure is a peak-period reading tied to demand on that day. Wind and solar also accounted for about one-third of energy-sector investment from January through September.

The September capacity figure followed combined wind and solar installations reaching 1.84 TW at the end of 2025. Those sources generated 2.3 trillion kWh during 2025, or about 22% of China’s electricity consumption that year. Annual generation measures electricity produced; it is distinct from the installed-capacity total.

China’s 2026-30 renewable-energy plan sets a 2030 target of more than 2.8 TW of combined wind and solar capacity, alongside annual generation above 4 trillion kWh. The targets set separate benchmarks for the size of the installed fleet and the electricity it produces in a year.