Electricity in People's Republic of China in 2023/2024

From November 2023 to October 2024, China's electricity generation relies significantly on fossil fuels, with over 61% of electricity coming from these sources. Coal plays a dominant role, accounting for almost 59% of the total electricity supply. In contrast, clean energy sources make up more than a third of China’s electricity mix. Hydropower is the leading contributor to this clean energy segment at about 14%, followed by wind power at over 10% and solar power around 7%. Nuclear energy supplies roughly 4%, while gas and biofuels provide very small portions, at less than 3% and about 2%, respectively. This data highlights the need for China to continue diversifying and expanding its clean electricity sources to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

Suggestions

China can boost its low-carbon electricity generation by focusing on expanding wind energy, as it already constitutes a substantial part of the clean-energy portfolio. Observations from countries leading in low-carbon electricity offer valuable insights. Denmark has achieved remarkable progress with wind energy, where it constitutes nearly 60% of its electricity, indicating the potential for China to increase its wind power capacity dramatically. Meanwhile, France, with more than two-thirds of its electricity from nuclear energy, exemplifies the potential scale of adopting nuclear energy. China can learn from these examples to tailor its energy strategies, combining the extensive potential of wind with the steady and reliable output of nuclear energy to create a more sustainable and balanced electricity generation portfolio.

History

China’s journey into low-carbon electricity generation has seen significant developments, especially in the last two decades. In the early 2000s, hydroelectricity expanded significantly, with noteworthy increases of about 70 TWh in 2004 and nearly 100 TWh in 2008. The early 2010s saw a continuation of this trend, peaking with a growth of over 170 TWh in 2012. However, recent years have highlighted wind and solar as major growth areas. Between 2021 and 2023, wind energy generation saw an impressive increase, particularly with the addition of over 189 TWh in 2021 and further substantial gains in subsequent years. Similarly, solar energy experienced rapid growth, with notable increases of over 100 TWh in 2022 and 157 TWh in 2023. Recent data for 2024 shows recovery in hydroelectric contributions and continued robust growth in both solar and wind capacities, signaling China's ongoing commitment to expanding its clean energy infrastructure. This impressive growth demonstrates China's potential to transition towards a more sustainable electricity mix by embracing both its abundant wind and solar resources while potentially expanding its nuclear infrastructure.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

Data Sources