Flicking a light switch, turning on an air conditioner, or charging a phone—these everyday moments of electricity use rarely prompt the question of where the power originates. For a long time, the answer was simple and clear: it came from burning coal.
As the primary power source driving China's rapid industrialization, coal-fired electricity has sustained homes and businesses, underpinning the basic functioning of the economy. But as the energy transition deepens, this decades-old power structure is witnessing a historic shift. In the first half of the year, China's coal power generation reached 2.5 trillion kilowatt-hours, accounting for 49.7% of total electricity output—the first time coal's share has fallen below 50%.
A companion data point is equally significant: renewable energy generation approached 2 trillion kilowatt-hours in the same period, making up 41.2% of total generation—a first-time breach of the 40% threshold. The long-standing power supply landscape, dominated by coal, is being profoundly reshaped. The decline in coal's share and the rise of renewables are not just numerical changes; they reflect the real evolution of China's energy mix.
This milestone is not an endpoint
Coal power's share falling below 50% is a phased achievement of China's steady energy transition, laying the groundwork for a new power system. Meanwhile, renewable energy's share exceeding 40%—enough to cover 40% of national electricity demand—means that new energy sources are shedding their "supplementary" label and moving to center stage, marking a substantive breakthrough in the green and low-carbon transition.
This landmark change is no accident. It stems from China's long-term strategic resolve, continuous technological breakthroughs, and increasingly robust system safeguards. Strategic planning has been the foundation. Over the past decade, from the "Four Revolutions, One Cooperation" energy security strategy setting the direction, to the "dual carbon" goals defining the low-carbon pathway, and the detailed implementation of the "15th Five-Year Plan" for renewable energy, China has consistently followed a cohesive blueprint. Sustained top-level design, coherent policy execution, and steady project commissioning have enabled the orderly expansion of new energy and the optimized transformation of coal power, ultimately driving fundamental change in the energy structure.
Technological innovation is at the core. Over the past 10 years, the cost of onshore wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) power in China has dropped by more than 60% and 80%, respectively. Solar PV costs are now below the benchmark coal power price in many regions, achieving a complete reversal in the economics of clean energy. Leveraging its full industrial chain, China now accounts for over 70% of global green industries like wind, solar, and energy storage. This technical strength and industrial scale provide the main driving force for the widespread adoption of new energy.
System support is the backbone. To address the intermittency and volatility of wind and solar power, China has built the world's largest AC-DC hybrid grid, enhancing the intelligence of primary and distribution networks for efficient cross-regional clean energy allocation. Additionally, the country's new energy storage capacity has reached 153 million kilowatts, and a unified national electricity market is taking shape. Coordinated efforts in grid, storage, and market mechanisms effectively offset the fluctuations of new energy, ensuring stable integration and reliable supply of green electricity.
It's crucial to clarify a misconception: coal power's share falling below 50% does not mean it is exiting the stage or becoming marginal. Within the new power system, coal's role is precisely evolving—from a traditional baseload power source to a flexible, controllable support and regulation source. As industry experts have noted, "coal power, with less than 50% of installed capacity, contributes 60% of generation, 70% of peak supply capacity, and 80% of system regulation tasks." In extreme weather conditions with no wind or sun, when new energy output drops sharply, coal power remains the "ballast" for power supply. Its core value in ensuring safety and providing flexible regulation will be hard to replace for a considerable time.
Energy transition and industrial upgrading are mutually reinforcing processes. The large-scale development of clean energy not only reshapes the generation mix but also drives the comprehensive upgrade of the entire energy consumption and industrial systems. In the first half of the year, China's new energy vehicle industry continued to grow, with electricity consumption for charging and battery-swapping services surging year-on-year. The expansion of green power supply provides ample momentum for the development of new energy industries and green manufacturing. Meanwhile, China's complete industrial chains in solar PV, wind power, and power batteries not only support the domestic energy revolution but also export green technologies, equipment, and solutions globally, becoming a core driver of the world's low-carbon energy transition.
Coal power's share falling below 50% is a vivid example of how China, as a super-large economy, balances energy security with green development. It powerfully demonstrates that economic growth and ecological protection, as well as energy supply security and low-carbon transformation, are not a zero-sum game—they can advance together and achieve mutual benefits. According to the "15th Five-Year Plan" deployment, renewable energy in China has entered a new phase of "expanding scale, improving quality, and achieving reliable substitution."
Coal power's share dipping below half is a critical milestone in the energy transition, but it is also a new starting point. Ahead, challenges such as system regulation and supply-demand matching from a high share of new energy grid integration remain. Standing at this new juncture, China's green and low-carbon energy transition will continue to move forward, aiming for even higher goals.