Solar to Soon Pass Coal as China’s Top Power Capacity Source

Skip to Content News Archives Economy Energy Oil & Gas Renewables Electric Vehicles Mining Commodities Agriculture Real Estate Mortgages Mortgage Rates Finance Banking Insurance Fintech Cryptocurrency Work Wealth Smart Money Wealth Management Investor Personal Finance Family Finance Retirement Taxes High Net Worth FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials More Innovation Information Technology FP500 Podcasts Small Business Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Financial Post Store Obituaries Place a Notice Advertising Advertising With Us Advertising Solutions Postmedia Ad Manager Sponsorship Requests Classifieds Place a Classifieds ad Working Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ News Economy Energy Mining Real Estate Finance Work Wealth Investor FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.HomePMN BusinessSolar to Soon Pass Coal as China's Top Power Capacity SourceSolar power will soon surpass coal as China’s largest source of generation capacity, marking a major milestone in the country’s rapid renewable energy build-out.Author of the article:Last updated 20 minutes ago You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.(Bloomberg) — Solar power will soon surpass coal as China’s largest source of generation capacity, marking a major milestone in the country’s rapid renewable energy build-out.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLYSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountThe baton will be passed at some point in the third quarter of this year, the China Electricity Council said in its half-year report late Thursday. It may have already happened — at the end of June, solar’s 1,274 gigawatts of capacity was just shy of coal’s 1,275 gigawatts, National Energy Administration officials said in a press briefing Thursday. Total installed generating capacity is expected to reach 4,300 gigawatts by the end of 2026, with solar and wind accounting for about half of the total, the council said in its latest power industry forecast. The share of thermal power is projected to fall further to 31%.Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againThe solar milestone is happening even as China’s record pace of renewable installations has slowed significantly this year, after a policy overhaul ended guaranteed revenue for wind and solar projects. The country added 72 gigawatts of solar in the first half of 2026, after adding 93 gigawatts in May 2025 alone, the last month before the new policy went into effect. Total investment in power generation fell 3.2% in the first six months from a year earlier to 363.7 billion yuan ($54 billion), primarily driven by the pullback in solar, the council said. Installations are likely to rebound, with China set to add 240 gigawatts of new generating capacity in the second half of the year, a 50% increase from the first half. JPMorgan analysts including Alan Hon also said they expected a second-half resurgence, following the sector’s typical seasonal cycle, according to a research note. The breakneck expansion of renewable energy is also exposing strains in China’s electricity network. Increasingly, wind and solar projects are being forced to curtail output because grids are unable to absorb all the power they generate. Solar utilization fell to 91.4% in the first half of the year, according to the National Energy Administration, down from 94.3% a year earlier.Decline in polysilicon prices in China halted in the week through Wednesday, as market transactions stayed lightWafer prices dropped by 1.8% to 3.6% in the week through Thursday as downstream demand remained weakSolar cell prices were at 0.25-0.26 yuan per watt, down 1.9% from a week ago; module prices were 0.67-0.68 yuan per watt, down 1.5%JPMorgan turned more “selectively constructive” on Chinese solar stocks after a recent selloff, saying improving supply-demand dynamics in the second half could support a recovery in the battered sectorChinese solar shares gained after the China Photovoltaic Industry Association released an industry cost standard to ease vigorous price competition in the sector(Updates with additional details about investment in the fifth paragraph. An earlier version corrected the year of the capacity forecast in the third paragraph.)This advertisement has not loaded yet.Notice for the Postmedia NetworkThis website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.