China is the world's largest electricity producer. It overtook the United States in 2011 after rapid growth since the early 1990s. In 2021, China produced 8,534 terawatt-hour (TWh) of electricity, which was approximately 30% of the world's electricity production.

Most of the electricity in China comes from coal power, which accounted for 62% of electricity generation in 2021 and is a big part of greenhouse gas emissions by China. Power generated from renewable energy has also been continuously increasing in the country. The national electricity generation from renewable energy reached 594.7 TWh in Q1 2023, an increase of 11.4% year-on-year, including 342.2 TWh of wind and solar power, up 27.8% year-on-year.

In 2023, China's total installed electric generation capacity was 2.92 TW, of which 1.26 TW was renewable, including 376 GW from wind power and 425 GW from solar power. As of 2023, the total power generation capacity for renewable energy sources in China is at 53.9%. The rest was mostly coal capacity, with 1040 GW in 2019. Nuclear also plays an increasing role in the national electricity sector. As of February 2023, China has 55 nuclear plants with 57 GW of power in operation, 22 under construction with 24 GW and more than 70 planned with 88 GW. About 5% of electricity in the country comes from nuclear energy.

China has two wide area synchronous grids, the State Grid and the China Southern Power Grid. The northern power grids were synchronized in 2005. Since 2011 all Chinese provinces are interconnected. The two grids are joined by HVDC back-to-back connections and point-to-point links.

China has abundant energy reserves with the world's fourth-largest coal reserves and massive hydroelectric resources. There is however a geographical mismatch between the location of the coal fields in the northeast (Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning) and north (Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Henan), hydropower in the south-west (Sichuan, Yunnan, and Tibet), and the growing industrial load centers of the east (Shanghai-Zhejiang) and south (Guangdong, Fujian).

History

In April 1996, an Electric Power Law was implemented, a major event in China's electric power industry. The law set out to promote the development of the electric power industry, to protect the legal rights of investors, managers, and consumers, and to regulate the generation, distribution, and consumption.

Before 1994, electricity supply was managed by electric power bureaus of the provincial governments. Now utilities are managed by corporations outside of the government administration structure.

To end the State Power Corporation's (SPC) monopoly of the power industry, China's State Council dismantled the corporation in December 2002 and set up 11 smaller companies. SPC had owned 46% of the country's electrical generation assets and 90% of the electrical supply assets. The smaller companies include two electric power grid operators, five electric power generation companies, and four relevant business companies. Each of the five electric power generation companies owns less than 20% (32 GW of electricity generation capacity) of China's market share for electric power generation. Ongoing reforms aim to separate power plants from power-supply networks, privatize a significant amount of state-owned property, encourage competition, and revamp pricing mechanisms.

In recent history, China's power industry is characterized by fast growth and an enormous installed base. In 2014, it had the largest installed electricity generation capacity in the world with 1505 GW and generated 5583 TWh China also has the largest thermal power capacity, the largest hydropower capacity, the largest wind power capacity and the largest solar capacity in the world. Despite an expected rapid increase in installed capacity scheduled in 2014 for both wind and solar, and an expected increase to 60 GW in nuclear by 2020, coal will still account for between 65% and 75% of capacity in 2020.

In Spring 2011, according to The New York Times, shortages of electricity existed, and power outages should be anticipated. The government-regulated price of electricity had not matched rising prices for coal.

In 2020, Chinese Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping announced that China aims to go carbon-neutral by 2060 in accordance with the Paris climate accord.

In 2024, China's National Energy Administration ceased publishing data on power utilization by each generating source, impeding analysis of grid constraints.

Production and capacity Electricity generation in China by source in TWh:

+Electricity production (GWh) in China by source, 2008–2025 Year Total Fossil Nuclear Renewable Total renewable % renewable Coal Oil Gas Hydro Wind Solar PV Biofuels Waste Solar thermal Geo-thermal Tide20083,481,9852,743,76723,79131,02868,394585,18714,80015214,715001447615,00517.66%20093,741,9612,940,75116,61250,81370,134615,64026,90027920,700001257663,65117.74%20104,207,9933,250,40913,23669,02773,880722,17244,62269924,7509,06421257801,44119.05%20114,715,7613,723,3157,78684,02286,350698,94570,3312,60431,50010,77061257814,28817.27%20124,994,0383,785,0226,69885,68697,394872,10795,9786,34433,70010,968912571,019,23820.41%20135,447,2314,110,8266,50490,602111,613920,291141,19715,45138,30012,3042610981,127,68620.70%20145,678,9454,115,2159,517114,505132,5381,064,337156,07829,19544,43712,9563412581,307,17023.02%20155,859,9584,108,9949,679145,346170,7891,130,270185,76645,22552,70011,0292712581,425,18024.32%20166,217,9074,241,78610,367170,488213,2871,193,374237,07175,25664,70011,41329125111,581,97925.44%20176,452,9004,178,2002,700203,200248,1001,194,700304,600117,80081,3001,700,00026.34%20186,994,7004,482,9001,500215,500295,0001,232,100365,800176,90093,6001,868,40026.71%20197,326,9004,553,8001,300232,500348,7001,302,100405,300224,000112,6002,044,00027.76%20207,623,6004,629,60010,800252,500366,2001,355,200466,500261,10043,800135,5002,218,30029.09%20218,395,9005,042,60012,200287,100407,5001,339,900655,800327,00050,200165,8002,488,50029.64%20228,848,7105,888,790417,7801,352,200762,670427,2702,542,12028.73%20239,456,4406,265,740434,7201,285,850885,870584,1502,755,88029.14%202410,086,8806,374,260450,8501,425,680997,040839,0403,261,76032.33%202510,575,2506,327,150485,2301,461,6701,127,9201,173,2403,762,83035.58%

+ Electricity production in China (TWh)IEA Key World Energy Statistics 2015, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 , 2006 IEA coal production p. 15, electricity p. 25 and 27 Total From coal Coal % 2004 2,200 1,713 78% 2007 3,279 2,656 81% 2008 3,457 2,733 79% 2009 3,696 2,913 79% 2010 4,208 3,273 78% 2011 4,715 3,724 79% 2012 4,937 3,850 78% 2013 5,398 4,200 78% 2014 5,583 4,354 78% 2015 5,666 4,115 73% 2016 5,920 3,906 66% 2017 6,453 4,178 65% 2018 6,995 4,483 64% 2019 7,327 4,554 62% 2020 7,623 4,926 60.7% 2021 8,395 5,042 60%excluding Hong Kong

ChinaEnergyPortal.org

China Energy Portal publishes Chinese energy policy, news, and statistics and provides tools for their translation into English. Translations on this site depend entirely on contributions from its readers. 2020 electricity & other energy statistics (preliminary) +Total power production Source 2019 [TWh] 2020 [TWh] Change [%] Total 7,326.9 7,623.6 4.0 Hydro power 1,302.1 1,355.2 4.1 Thermal power 5,046.5 5,174.3 2.5 Nuclear power 348.7 366.2 5.0 Wind power 405.3 466.5 15.1 Solar power 224 261.1 16.6

+Installed generation capacity Source 2019 [GW] 2020 [GW] Change [%] Total 2,010.06 2,200.58 9.5 Hydro power 358.04 370.16 3.4 Thermal power 1,189.57 1,245.17 4.7 Nuclear power 48.74 49.89 2.4 Wind power 209.15 281.53 34.6 Solar power 204.18 253.43 24.1

+Change in generation capacity Source 2019 [MW] 2020 [MW] Change [%] Total 105,000 190,870 81.8 Hydro power 4,450 13,230 197.7 Thermal power 44,230 56,370 27.4 Nuclear power 4,090 1,120 −72.6 Wind power 25,720 71,670 178.7 Solar power 26,520 48,200 81.7 (Note that change in generation capacity is new installations minus retirements.)

National Bureau of Statistics of China The official Statistics available in English are not all up to date. Numbers are given in "(100 million kw.h)" which equals 100 GWh or 0.1 TWh.

+Electricity Production by source Source 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 20202021 Hydro Power 6989.4 8721.1 9202.9 10728.8 11302.7 11840.5 11978.7 12317.9 13044.4 13552.113401 Thermal Power 38337 38928.1 42470.1 44001.1 42841.9 44370.7 47546 50963.2 52201.5 53302.556463 Nuclear Power 863.5 973.9 1116.1 1325.4 1707.9 2132.9 2480.7 2943.6 3481 36624075 Wind Power 703.3 959.8 1412 1599.8 1857.7 2370.7 2972.3 3659.7 4057 46656556Solar Power2663.4154.5292452.3752.611781769224026113270

Sources In 2022, coal remained the primary source of electricity generation in China, accounting for 61.7% of total output. Other fossil fuels accounted for a smaller share, with natural gas contributing 3.0% and oil 0.1%. Renewable and low-carbon energy sources accounted for a growing proportion, including hydropower (15.1%), wind power (8.5%), solar photovoltaic (PV) (4.8%), and biofuels (2.0%). Nuclear energy contributed 4.7%.

Coal power

Hydropower

Hydroelectricity is currently China's largest renewable energy source and the second overall after coal.

In 2021, China's total hydropower capacity reached 391 gigawatts (GW), an increase of 72 GW since 2015 when capacity stood at 319 GW. Of this increase, 20 GW was added in 2021. Hydropower accounted for approximately 16% of the country's installed power capacity and electricity generation. China represented about 29% of the world's total hydropower capacity and accounted for approximately 80% of global hydropower capacity additions in 2021. This includes both conventional and pumped-storage hydroelectricity, with most new developments concentrated in the western and southern regions.

According to the Energy Transitions Commission's 2019 report, China 2050: A Fully Developed Rich Zero-Carbon Economy, China has an estimated hydropower potential of up to 660 gigawatts (GW), of which about 500 GW is considered technically and economically feasible. The report projects that by 2050, wind and solar will generate nearly 70% of China's electricity.

In the first half of 2023, China's hydropower capacity factor dropped to 30.5%, its lowest since at least 2015, due to severe drought conditions that reduced water availability. Hydropower output fell by 23%, the largest decline among all electricity sources. Globally, hydropower generation declined by 8.5%.

Although hydroelectricity represents the largest renewable and low greenhouse gas emissions energy source in the country, the social and environmental impact of dam construction in China has been large, with millions of people forced to relocate and large scale damage to the environment.

Wind power

With its large land mass and long coastline, China has exceptional wind resources:Oceans of Opportunity: Harnessing Europe's largest domestic energy resource pp. 18–19. Ewea.org it is estimated China has about 2,380 GW of exploitable capacity on land and 200 GW on the sea.Wind provides 1.5% of China's electricity Wind Power Monthly, 5 December 2011 At the end of 2021 there was 329 GW of wind power in China providing 655,000 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of wind electricity to the grid. This contrasts with the 114 GW of electricity generating capacity installed in China in 2014 (although capacity of wind power is not on par with capacity of nuclear power). In 2011, China's plan was to have 100 GW of wind power capacity by the end of 2015, with an annual wind generation of 190 terawatt-hours (TWh).

China has identified wind power as a key growth component of the country's economy.

Nuclear power