China Building Twice as Much Wind and Solar as Rest of World Combined
China Building Twice as Much Wind and Solar as Rest of World Combined - Yale E360
Large-scale wind and solar capacity now under construction. Global Energy Monitor
China is erecting twice as much wind and solar capacity as every other country put together, according to a new analysis of large renewable energy projects. Increasingly, wind and solar are edging coal off the power grid.
China is building 180 gigawatts of large solar projects and 159 gigawatts of large wind projects, which together amount to nearly two-thirds of the capacity coming online worldwide, according to an analysis from Global Energy Monitor. Analysts say that, compared to other countries, China has been far more successful in ushering projects from the planning phase to the construction phase.
Wind and solar already amount to more than a third of Chinese power capacity, and they are expected to surpass coal capacity this year. In May, China saw its coal output hit a record low as renewable generation surged, according to a new analysis from CarbonBrief.
“With clean energy expanding by more than the rise in electricity demand, fossil fuel output was forced into retreat, seeing the largest monthly drop since the Covid-19 pandemic,” the analysis found. It reaffirmed the view that China likely hit peak emissions last year.
If the wind and solar buildout continues apace, then renewables will continue to displace fossil fuels and drive emissions down while further dimming the outlook for coal. Since 2015, the pipeline of new coal projects in China shrank from 738 gigawatts to 408 gigawatts, according to a new analysis from the World Resources Institute.
Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: hydropower
Hydropower — electricity generated by turbines capturing energy from moving water — was for many years the primary contributor of renewable energy to the U.S. electricity grid. Its growth was rapid into the 1970s, and since then has offered a stable supply of power, while a declining share of all generation. For many years, hydropower was seen as clean energy and an unalloyed good, but a greater understanding of the impact of dams on ecosystems and wildlife has led to the removal of some dams. As of 2019, hydropower trails wind as a renewable source of power generation.