From July 2025 through June 2026, fossil fuels supplied about 57% of electricity consumed in the People’s Republic of China, while low-carbon sources provided about 43%. Coal remained dominant at almost 54%, with gas contributing around 3%. Within clean electricity, hydropower supplied 14%, solar almost 12%, wind roughly 11%, nuclear about 4%, and biofuels around 2%. Solar generation was split almost equally between utility-scale installations and behind-the-meter systems, each supplying about 6% of electricity. China therefore has a substantial clean electricity sector, although fossil fuels still account for more than half of its electricity supply.
Is Electricity Growing in People's Republic of China?
Electricity consumption per person is growing and setting new records. The latest 2026 figure reached about 7,574 kWh per person, up 173 kWh, or roughly 2.3%, from the previous record of 7,401 kWh in 2025. Low-carbon electricity generation also reached a record of about 3,252 kWh per person, an increase of 115 kWh, or nearly 4%, over its 2025 high. These are encouraging gains: clean generation per person is growing faster than overall electricity consumption per person, supporting electrification and rising demand from activities such as AI.
Suggestions
China can build on its already substantial wind and solar generation by expanding both, alongside a larger nuclear fleet and stronger electricity networks. Relevant examples include nearby South Korea, where nuclear supplies a quarter of electricity, and France, where it supplies roughly two-thirds, demonstrating the substantial contribution nuclear can make to a low-carbon electricity system. For solar, China can draw lessons from the US states of California and Nevada, where solar supplies around 31% and 35% of electricity respectively. Germany’s roughly 31% wind share and the US state of Texas’s 22% also offer useful examples of wind contributing substantially in large electricity systems. Adapting these experiences to China’s scale could help clean electricity meet growing demand while reducing reliance on fossil fuels and their climate and air-pollution impacts.
* 12M = Last 12 months (Jul 2025 – Jun 2026) — a rolling 12-month period, not a calendar year.
History
China’s recorded low-carbon electricity gains initially centered on hydropower: selected annual increases during 2004–2016 ranged from about 63 to 173 TWh, including especially strong growth in 2012 and 2014. Wind then became an increasingly important source of growth, adding around 58–71 TWh in the listed years from 2017 through 2020 before surging by about 188 TWh in 2021. During 2022–2025, wind continued its strong expansion, with annual gains of roughly 106–138 TWh. Solar also accelerated rapidly, with annual additions rising from about 66 TWh in 2021 to 99 TWh in 2022 and 155 TWh in 2023. Hydropower’s disappointing 71 TWh decline in 2023 was followed by an impressive rebound of around 206 TWh in 2024. Together, these developments show a widening foundation for sustained growth in clean electricity.
* 12M = Last 12 months (Jul 2025 – Jun 2026) — a rolling 12-month period, not a calendar year.
Electricity Imports and Exports
Balance of Trade
* 12M = Last 12 months (Jul 2025 – Jun 2026) — a rolling 12-month period, not a calendar year.
Nearby Regions
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