Photo: _ggyincheng from Pixabay
China continues to dominate the renewable energy landscape, representing 29% of all planned wind and solar capacity and a staggering three quarters of the segment under construction, according to the Global Energy Monitor.
All prospective projects in the world would have 4,484 GW in total capacity, of which 1,302 GW is in China. Next are Brazil, Australia and the United States.
The group consists of announced projects and the ones in the pre-construction phase and under construction. The list comprises solar projects of 20 MW or more and wind projects of at least 10 MW, both in terms of connection capacity.
There is 689 GW of new wind farms and photovoltaic plants in the world under construction. China accounts for 74% or 510 GW, the data reads.
According to Global Energy Monitor’s Global Solar Power Tracker, China has over 709 GW of prospective solar capacity, representing over one third of the global pipeline in 2025.
The country’s wind capacity has a similar rate of growth as solar, per Global Energy Monitor’s Global Wind Power Tracker. There is over 590 GW in prospective phases — nearly 530 GW onshore and 63 GW offshore. China’s prospective capacity accounts for about one third of the worldwide total.
The rapid buildout underscores China’s drive to accelerate its renewable energy development, with at least 205 GW slated to come online by the end of the year, though the total capacity is expected to be even higher, the update shows.
“China is fast-tracking a 1.3 TW pipeline of utility-scale solar and wind projects. Of this, 510 GW is already under construction, primed to be added to China’s 1.4 TW solar and wind capacity already in operation,” Global Energy Monitor said.
As of March 2025, China is the world’s offshore wind powerhouse, growing from under 5 GW in 2018 to 42.7 GW in 2025 (50% of global capacity).
China’s 1.4 TW in operating solar and wind parks outstrips thermal power
In Q1 2025, China’s combined wind and solar capacity surpassed its total coal and gas segment for the first time, supplying nearly 23% of the country’s total electricity consumed, compared to roughly 18% in Q1 2024, the National Energy Administration (NEA) revealed.
Moreover, the increase in output from solar, wind, and other non-fossil energy met China’s additional electricity demand in Q1 2025. Its operating solar and wind capacity soared to 1.4 TW altogether, now accounting for 44% of the global total. It is also more than the combined total of the European Union, United States, and India, the Global Energy Monitor underscored.
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