(Yicai) Dec. 16 -- China will add more than 200 million kilowatts of new wind and photovoltaic power generation capacity next year as it accelerates the green and low-carbon transformation of its energy sector, according to the National Energy Work Conference 2026.

The expansion underscores China’s push to raise the share of clean energy in its power mix while stabilizing energy supply. Alongside wind and solar, the country will orderly advance major hydropower projects, actively and safely develop nuclear power, and improve the clean and efficient use of fossil fuels, based on the meeting held yesterday.

The core challenge in the green transition lies in building a new energy system dominated by clean sources such as wind and photovoltaic power, but the main bottleneck remains difficulties in power consumption and grid absorption, said Lin Boqiang, director of the China Institute for Studies in Energy Policy at Xiamen University.

To address these constraints, China’s National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration issued a policy document in October setting a clear timetable. By 2030, China aims to basically establish a coordinated and efficient multi-level regulation system for new energy consumption, with incremental electricity demand mainly met by new renewable generation and reasonable absorption ensured for more than 200 million kilowatts of new capacity each year.

The document categorizes new energy development and consumption into five areas, including long-distance transmission from large wind and solar bases in deserts, gobi and wastelands, integrated hydropower-wind-solar projects, offshore wind power, within-province centralized projects, and distributed new energy, shifting management toward more refined and targeted approaches.

China will also actively and safely develop nuclear power next year, a goal written into the Energy Law of the People’s Republic of China, passed in 2024. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021–2025), the country approved construction of 46 new nuclear power units and added 54.5 million kilowatts of installed capacity, while both operating capacity and annual power generation rose by about 30 percent.

There are now 112 nuclear power units in operation or approved for construction on the Chinese mainland, with total installed capacity reaching 125 million kilowatts, making China the world’s largest nuclear power country.

The conference also outlined priorities, including accelerating self-reliance in energy science and technology, ensuring energy supply for households and enterprises, deepening energy reforms and rule-of-law development, and expanding international cooperation.

Editors: Zhang Yushuo, Emmi Laine