China thermal power generation drops for first time in decade as renewables meet record demand
China's thermal power generation fell 1 percent in 2025, the first drop in a decade, as renewables met record electricity demand exceeding 10 trillion kWh.
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China 
CNrecorded its first annual decline in thermal power generation in a decade during 2025, signaling a historic shift in the country's energy landscape. Data released on January 19, 2026, by China's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that thermal electricity generation, which primarily includes coal-fired units, fell by 1% to 6.29 trillion kWh for the full year. This contraction occurred even as the nation's total power generation reached 9.72 trillion kWh, an increase of 2.2% compared with 2024, as the renewable energy sector, including components of the Invesco Solar ETF and First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF , continued its record-level buildout.
CNrecorded its first annual decline in thermal power generation in a decade during 2025, signaling a historic shift in the country's energy landscape. Data released on January 19, 2026, by China's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that thermal electricity generation, which primarily includes coal-fired units, fell by 1% to 6.29 trillion kWh for the full year. This contraction occurred even as the nation's total power generation reached 9.72 trillion kWh, an increase of 2.2% compared with 2024, as the renewable energy sector, including components of the Invesco Solar ETF and First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF , continued its record-level buildout.
