China achieved a new milestone in its energy transition, with wind and solar power together generating a quarter (26%) of the country’s electricity in April 2025, the highest monthly share on record, according to the latest data from global energy think tank Ember. This surpasses the previous record of 23.7% set a month earlier in March 2025. Wind and solar share typically peaks during March and April as favourable weather conditions for renewable generation coincide with lower electricity demand for heating and cooling.
Wind and solar generate over a quarter of China’s electricity for the first month on record
Solar output triples in 5 years, setting new record for share and generation
22 May 2025
The April record was driven by both wind and solar hitting individual record high shares. Wind power accounted for 13.6% of generation while solar contributed 12.4%. The rise of solar power in particular has been remarkable. The share of solar power has tripled in the last five years, from just 4.1% in April of 2020. In 2024, China installed more new solar capacity than the rest of the world combined, more than tripling its rate of installations in just two years, from around 103 GW (DC) in 2022 to 333 GW in 2024. Installations have continued at pace in 2025, with 72 GW of new solar added in Q1 alone, up 18% from Q1 2024, according to Ember’s monthly wind and solar capacity data.
The rapid build out of solar capacity in China has pushed not only the share, but also absolute solar generation to new heights. In April 2025, China hit a new record of 96 TWh of solar generation, surpassing the previous record of 89 TWh set in August of 2024. This record may soon be surpassed again as summer conditions further boost output.
The growth in renewables is also reshaping the overall generation mix. Fossil fuel generation has already declined by 72 TWh—or 3.6%—year-on-year across the first four months of 2025, a shift that’s beginning to show structural signs.
This latest milestone comes at a time of growing urgency. 2024 was the hottest year on record, breaching the critical 1.5°C threshold for the first time. In this context, China’s energy transition stands at a crossroads. The latest report from Ember highlights that China’s unprecedented renewables buildout has laid the foundation for clean electricity to meet all future demand growth, but sustaining this momentum will require breakthroughs beyond wind and solar, including smart grids, energy storage to clean electrification of industry.
China has marked consistent milestones over the past year and into the beginning of this year, driven by record growth in renewables. For the first time, wind and solar are generating over a quarter of the country’s electricity. Yet challenges remain in managing the variability of renewables and accelerating decarbonisation across the end-use sectors. Continued power system reform efforts and institutional development are essential to sustain this momentum.
Biqing Yang
Asia Analyst, Ember
Asia Analyst, Ember
About Ember
Ember is an independent energy think tank that aims to accelerate the clean energy transition with data and policy. It creates targeted data insights to advance policies that urgently shift the world to a clean, electrified energy future.
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