A remarkable 45% increase in solar capacity
While we in the UK have at least one major political party vowing to extract all of the oil and gas out of the North Sea, China has met its renewable energy goals five years early.
Again, while we have arguments about “net zero” and the aesthetics of solar farms, this summer was the hottest on record and hot homes are making children sick. Meanwhile, China is covering entire mountain ranges in solar panels.
It’s a climate emergency. We should act like it.
China broke its own renewable energy record once again in 2024, installing 80 gigawatts (GW) of wind capacity and 277 GW of solar capacity, according to the National Energy Administration, as reported by Recharge News. This marks an impressive 18% growth in wind capacity, now totalling 520 GW, and a remarkable 45% increase in solar capacity, which has reached 890 GW. Combined, these achievements fulfil the 1.2 terawatts (TW) renewable energy capacity target set by President Xi Jinping in 2020 – a goal originally intended for 2030.
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The International Energy Agency (IEA) has previously pointed to China’s advancements as a key factor in keeping the global goal of tripling renewable power capacity by 2030 within reach. Despite ongoing construction of new coal-fired power plants, China’s total power generation saw a nearly 15% increase in 2024, reaching 3.35 TWh.
Source: The Renewable Energy Institute
Image: The Independent
