China's Five-Year Energy Plan Sets 30% Clean Power Target While Allowing Coal Capacity Growth

com reported. The plan targets clean energy at 30 percent of power generation by 2030, up from about 22 percent currently. Wind and solar are designated to become the mainstay of the electricity mix, yet coal power capacity will continue to grow and serve as a flexible backstop.

Lauri Myllyvirta, co-founder of the Finland-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, said the increases in fossil power generation allowed by the targets are not aligned with China's commitments to peak CO2 emissions and coal consumption and to reduce CO2 intensity by 2030.

China accounted for 78 percent of all global coal power capacity that began operating in 2025 and for 86 percent of total global coal power capacity under construction and expected to be commissioned in 2026, according to data analyzed by Global Energy Monitor.