Meanwhile, in China, 60 GW of new solar capacity added in first quarter of 2025

China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) announced over the weekend that installed solar capacity increased by 43.4 per cent through the first quarter of the year, with nearly 60GW of new capacity added.

The NEA published its national power industry statistics for the first three months of 2025 over the weekend, revealing that total installed power generation capacity for the country had reached 3.43 terawatts, a 14.6 per cent increase from the same time last year.

The country installed only 9GW worth of new thermal generation capacity, but 59.71GW of new solar capacity and 14.62GW of new wind capacity.

Newly installed solar capacity increased by 43.4 per cent over the same period in 2024, while newly installed wind capacity increased by 17.2 per cent.

The strong first quarter for new renewable energy capacity comes off the back of a particularly strong 2024 which saw the combination of wind and solar generate 18 per cent of the country’s electricity, according to global energy think tank Ember.

All sources of clean electricity combined to supply 38 per cent of China’s electricity in 2024, led by hydropower, which contributed 13 per cent.

According to Ember, China remains on track to boast at least 2,461GW of renewable electricity capacity installed by the end of this decade, doubling its 2022 figure, and with solar capacity nearly tripling its 2022 number.

“With decades of sustained policy support, China is now championing the global cleantech revolution, leading in both domestic deployment and world production across sectors like solar panels,” said Dr. Muyi Yang, Ember’s Senior Energy Analyst.

“While clean energy promises many benefits, realising them requires bold, enduring policy frameworks that transcend political cycles. China’s example highlights that the race to a sustainable future will be won by those who invest not just in technology, but in the patience and persistence to see their vision through.”