A drone photo shows staff members of State Grid Huzhou power supply company conducting inspection on the photovoltaic lines and equipment at a photovoltaic power station in Changxing County of Huzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, May 27, 2026. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)
China has officially rolled out its plan for renewable energy development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), the National Energy Administration (NEA) said on Thursday.
The document was jointly issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and the NEA, noting that China's renewable energy sector will enter a new development stage featuring scale expansion, quality improvement and reliable substitution during this period.
According to the document, total consumption of renewable energy is expected to reach approximately 1.8 billion tonnes of standard coal equivalent by 2030.
Also by 2030, total installed capacity of renewable energy power generation is projected to reach about 3.5 billion kilowatts (kW), with an annual power generation of roughly 6 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh). The combined installed capacity of wind and solar power is expected to exceed 2.8 billion kW, with annual power generation surpassing 4 trillion kWh.
Renewable energy refers to energy that can be continuously replenished and regenerated through natural processes within a relatively short period. It includes hydropower, wind power, solar energy, biomass energy, geothermal energy and marine energy. New energy refers to all renewable energy sources excluding hydropower, the document noted.
By 2030, the total scale of renewable energy used for non-power purposes will increase 2.5-fold compared to 2025, equivalent to approximately 150 million tonnes of standard coal, it said.
During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, more than 300 million kW of new reliable peak power capacity from renewable energy will be added, while the scale of newly commenced offshore wind power projects nationwide will reach around 100 million kW.
As China coordinates hydropower development with ecological protection while balancing the needs of flood control, water supply, irrigation and navigation, the country's conventional hydropower installed capacity is expected to reach about 410 million kW by 2030.
By 2030, China is targeting 15 million kW of installed solar thermal power capacity, 400,000 kW of marine energy capacity, and approximately 160 million kW of pumped storage power capacity.
Officials said the plan proposes that by 2030, China's electricity generation mix will feature "half non-fossil fuels, nearly half renewable energy, and 30 percent new energy sources."
China will continuously promote international cooperation on renewable energy to support the global transition toward green and low-carbon energy, and actively facilitate the free flow of its high-quality green technologies and products in the global market, according to the document.
The country will support various institutions and enterprises in deepening their involvement in the development and alignment of international standards and certification, advancing the internationalization of its renewable energy technologies and management norms, and continuously promoting mutual recognition of certification results.
China will actively participate in global governance of green and low-carbon development transformation, uphold the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, and tailor cooperation with countries in energy transition and green energy technologies to local conditions, jointly addressing the challenges of climate change, the document said.
