In December 2020, President Xi Jinping set a goal for China to have a clean energy production capacity of at least 1,200 gigawatts by 2030. That goal was achieved almost six years ahead of schedule. In July of this year, after another 25 gigawatts of wind turbines and photovoltaic panels were added to the network, China’s total renewable energy capacity rose to 1,206 gigawatts, according to a statement Friday by the National Energy Administration.
China hits 2030 clean energy target from wind and solar 6 years early / Bloomberg
China is a leader in the construction of renewable energy installations
China has been building a huge number of wind and solar farms in recent years, outpacing any other country in the world. This summer, the rapid expansion of renewables has contributed to a decline in coal-fired power generation and could mean that the world’s biggest polluter has already peaked its greenhouse gas emissions well before it reaches its 2030 target.
Investments needed in the above power lines and energy storage
Despite the rapid expansion of renewables, solar and wind have generated only about 14 percent of China’s electricity this year. But increasing that share and further displacing fossil fuels will require even more work. To meet the demands of intermittent renewables, grid operators are investing heavily in power lines and storage facilities.
