(Yicai) Oct. 26 -- China’s solar power capacity increased 40,000 times in the 16 years through 2025, culminating in a major milestone being reached this summer, when it edged past coal-fired capacity for the first time.

The country’s installed solar power capacity reached 1.2 billion kilowatts last year, making it the second-largest source of actual electricity generation, according to the China Statistical Yearbook 2026 published by the National Bureau of Statistics.

Solar power capacity reached 1.286 billion kW this July, surpassing coal-fired power, which stood at 1.285 billion kW, to become the country's largest source of installed capacity, according to the National Energy Administration.

Solar power accounted for 32 percent of China’s power production capacity as of July 31, equivalent to the combined capacity of 57 Three Gorges hydropower stations, it said.

Wind power has also expanded dramatically, the China Statistical Yearbook showed. Installed wind power capacity stood at just 0.34 million kW in 2000 but reached 640 million kW in 2025, an increase of about 1,880 times over the last quarter century.

Nuclear power capacity has expanded steadily, it said. Installed capacity soared about 28.8 times over the 25-year period, rising from 2.1 million kW to 62.5 million kW.

Thermal power capacity surged around 5.5-fold, from 237 million kW to 1.5 billion kW, though its role in the electricity system has fundamentally changed, the report said.

Unlike in earlier years, when thermal power was the main source of additional generating capacity, it is now increasingly used as a backup to balance the grid and ensure reliable electricity supplies, helping offset fluctuations in wind and solar power generation.

Editor: Kim Taylor