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China<\/a> is set to have more solar<\/a> power capacity than coal<\/a> for the first time this year, marking a \u201chistoric\u201d milestone in the country\u2019s energy transition.<\/p>\n Data released on Monday by a nonprofit shows installed solar capacity is expected to overtake coal in 2026, following years of rapid expansion that have made China the world\u2019s largest solar market<\/a>. This is despite the country continuing to rely on coal <\/a>for energy<\/a> security.<\/p>\n By the end of the year, wind<\/a> and solar energy combined are projected to account for about half of China\u2019s total installed power capacity, while coal\u2019s share falls to around one-third, according to the China Electricity Council.<\/p>\n The crossover does not mean China will immediately generate more electricity from solar than from coal. Installed capacity describes how much power could be produced under ideal conditions. While coal plants can operate continuously, solar output fluctuates with daylight and weather. However, the scale and direction of new capacity additions show China\u2019s power buildout is now led by wind and solar rather than fossil fuels.<\/p>\n Andreas Sieber, head of political strategy at green group 350.org, called the shift a \u201chistoric inflection point\u201d. He said it\u2019s \u201cproof that clean energy has won on cost, scale, and air quality\u201d, but the continued addition of coal makes its energy politics \u201cimpressive but schizophrenic\u201d.<\/p>\n Others caution against reading the capacity crossover as a sign that coal is getting displaced in practice.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is entirely symbolic, while it can of course be seen as symbolically important,\u201d said Lauri Myllyvirta, energy analyst at the independent research organisation Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.<\/p>\n \u201cThe average capacity factor for solar in China is about 14 per cent and for coal 50 per cent, so coal power plants still generate about 3.5 times as much electricity as solar power.<\/p>\n \u201cThe really important stat in terms of power generation from solar and other clean sources is that their growth is now faster than the growth in total power demand, which has started to push down emissions from fossil fuels,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Solar capacity stood at about 1,200 gigawatts at the end of 2025 in the country, after growing at an average rate of roughly 270GW a year over the past three years. Coal capacity, by contrast, is expected to reach about 1,333GW by the end of 2026. Total generating capacity across all sources is forecast to increase by more than 400GW this year, broadly in line with rising electricity demand.<\/p>\n The expansion of clean energy<\/a> in developing countries like China and India is already beginning to affect how electricity is produced. Analysis published last month found coal-fired power generation fell in both China and India<\/a> in 2025 \u2013 the first simultaneous decline in half a century \u2013 after record additions of renewable capacity were sufficient to meet demand growth.<\/p>\n