China wasting large amounts of power as captured clean energy hits bottlenecks, report says
All new electricity needs in China could have been met if the clean energy had been absorbed by the grid, non-profit organisations say
China wasted enough wind and solar power in the first half of this year to cover all new electricity demand, according to a report, as bottlenecks in grid absorption failed to stem a rebound in coal-fired generation.
The curtailed energy exceeded the 258 terawatt-hours of power demand growth during the period, the two non-profit organisations said, meaning all new electricity needs could have been met – and coal power generation reduced – if the clean energy had been absorbed into the grid.
Coal-fired power generation rebounded by 3.4 per cent year on year in the first half of 2026, reversing the 2025 decline.
“On a national energy basis, available clean electricity was therefore sufficient to push down coal power generation,” the report said. “However, the figures show that the rebound in coal power generation reflected limits in grid integration, dispatch and power trading rather than a national shortage of clean electricity.”
Curtailment was concentrated in major power-exporting areas, including the Inner Mongolia autonomous region at the country’s northern border, the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in China’s far west and the mountainous plateau of northwest China’s Qinghai province.
Around 15 per cent to 30 per cent of wind and solar power in these areas was wasted in the year through June, compared with regions like Guangdong and Zhejiang with higher power demands, where curtailment rates were below 3 per cent.