China continues to install solar and wind power at a record pace, with 1.3 TW of utility-scale solar and wind capacity in development, of which 510 GW is under construction, according to a report from Global Energy Monitor (GEM).
The study, published on Tuesday, shows that China accounts for 29% of all planned wind and solar projects globally and a whopping 74% of the projects under construction.
The pipeline includes 709 GW of solar capacity, of which 287 GW under construction, and 593 GW of wind capacity, of which 223 GW in the building phase.
China already has 1.4 TW of solar and wind in operation, more than a quarter of which, 357 GW, was added in 2024. Among the 2024 additions is the world’s largest single-site PV plant, the 3.5-GW Midong solar farm in Xinjiang Autonomous Region.
The country’s solar and wind fleet accounts for 44% of the world’s operating utility-scale solar and wind capacity.
The report notes that, according to the National Energy Administration (NEA), in the first quarter of 2025, China’s wind and solar capacity exceeded its thermal capacity for the first time, providing nearly 23% of the country’s electricity consumption, up from about 18% in the first quarter of 2024.
The report also says that China has solidified its leadership in the offshore wind sector, growing its offshore wind capacity from under 5 GW in 2018 to 42.7 GW in 2025, although it has not been immune to the challenges of this new market in recent years. The technology is gaining traction as coastal provinces pursue decarbonisation targets, but further progress will require a strategic and coordinated nationwide approach, according to the analysis.
“China has long been head and shoulders above the rest in building wind and solar, so it’s not surprising to see the uptick in offshore capacity. What is really impressive is just how much potential there is to displace emissions from fossil fuels and drive a clean energy transition along the coast’s industrial heartland,” said Mengqi Zhang, researcher at Global Energy Monitor.
As of February 2025, China had 67 GW of offshore wind projects in the development pipeline, including 28 GW under construction.
