China's Solar Capacity Edges Past Coal at 1,288 GW — SkimNews
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- China's installed solar capacity reached 1,288 GW, edging past coal's 1,285 GW for the first time, according to Chinese state-run media.
- Solar now accounts for 31.5% of China's total installed generation capacity, making it the country's largest capacity type while coal falls to second.
- Coal still dominates actual generation — wind and solar combined made up just 24.6% of electricity output in H1 2026 versus 49.7% for coal, the first time coal has fallen below half.
- Solar installations slowed this year after China eliminated feed-in tariffs, but deployments continued because solar remains cheaper to build than most generation sources.
- Total coal use in China ticked back upward despite coal's share dropping, driven by surging electricity demand and reduced gas-fired generation amid spiking energy prices.
- China's EV sales are rising while sales of vehicles with engines decline, tying its solar buildout directly to transport electrification.
Why it matters: China is both the world's largest auto market and largest electricity market, so solar overtaking coal in installed capacity reshapes how the globe's biggest CO2 emitter fuels its transport transition. Coal still dominates actual generation at 49.7% in H1 2026, but solar's 31.5% capacity share makes the gap structural, not cyclical.
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