CHINA MONTHLY ENERGY UPDATE NOVEMBER 2025

Authored by Caroline Wang, China Lead, Climate Energy Finance 

Previous CEF monthly updates here. 

Got questions or feedback? Please reach out: caroline@climateenergyfinance.org     

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SNAPSHOT

⚡ Renewables-led system expansion continues: China’s total installed power capacity reached a new historic high by November 2025, with zero-emissions sources supplying 42% of electricity generation year-to-date  

☀️ Solar drives capacity additions: From January–November 2025, solar accounted for 62% of new capacity, rising 33% yoy and adding ~3.5× more capacity than coal or wind over the period.  

📉 Sharp November drop in fossil generation: November posted the largest yoy monthly decline in fossil power generation since July 2024, down 3.9% yoy 

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CHART OF THE MONTH

Source: Global EV battery market share in Jan-Oct 2025: CATL 38.1%, BYD 16.9% 

From January to November 2025, China's share of the global pure electric vehicle market reached 64.3%, a slight increase of 1 percentage point compared to 2024, while China's share of the global plug-in hybrid electric vehicle market reached 76.4%.  

The global market share of pure EVs in Europe fell from 26% in 2021 to 20% in 2023, then to 17.2% in the first 11 months of 2025. In the US, the EV market share was 8.9% in 2025, after experiencing a significant drop to 4.7% in Q42025 due to price increases caused by Trump’s tariffs and the rollback of Inflation Reduction Act subsidies.  

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CHINA POWER STATISTICS – NOVEMBER 2025

China’s total installed power capacity continued to expand rapidly through November 2025, reaching a new record as renewable additions continued to dominate monthly growth. Capacity expansion remains structurally skewed toward zero-emissions sources, reflecting the ongoing transformation of its national power system, under its dual carbon goals. 

In January-November 2025, solar power was the single largest contributor to new capacity, accounting for 62% of newly added capacity, up 33% yoy and around 3.5 times more than new coal capacity or new wind capacity added (see Figure 1).  

Figure 1

New hydropower capacity dropped by 9% yoy, while nuclear saw close to zero growth with only 2GW added.  

Fossil fuel capacity additions – primarily coal –  continued, but at a significantly slower pace relative to renewables. While new coal units are still being commissioned to support grid stability and peak demand, their average capacity utilisation rate continues to decline to just 46% in 2025, and their overall share of system capacity and generation continues to decline, reflecting the trends explained in Ember’s flagship report China Energy Transition Review 2025.  

Key takeaway: 
November capacity data maintains the existing trend that China’s power system expansion remains decisively renewables-led. Solar and wind continue to account for the bulk of new capacity, while fossil additions play a supporting, system-balancing role rather than driving growth. 

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RENEWABLES MAKE UP 58% OF TOTAL INSTALLED POWER CAPACITY AS OF NOVEMBER 2025

By November 2025, China’s total installed power capacity reached a historic high at 446 GW (see Figure 2). Zero-emissions energy sources now dominate China’s installed capacity mix, at 60% (led by solar), up 4 percentage points compared with the same time last year, while fossil power dropped by 4 percentage points.  

Renewables account for a clear majority of installed capacity, at 58%.   

Solar power capacity recorded the fastest year-on-year growth, consolidating its position as the largest source of new capacity additions in the system. Wind power also continued its steady expansion, strengthening its role as a core pillar of China’s zero-emissions electricity supply. 

Hydropower capacity growth remained modest, reflecting resource constraints and project maturity, while nuclear capacity increased gradually in line with China’s long-term reactor deployment program. 

Fossil fuel capacity — still substantial in absolute terms — continued to lose share of the overall system despite incremental additions. This trend reflects the rapid pace of renewable deployment rather than an abrupt halt to fossil investment, aligning with China’s stated approach of ensuring energy security while accelerating the transition. 

Figure 2

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CHINA’S POWER GENERATION MIX - JANUARY–NOVEMBER 2025

The month of November 2025 posted the largest percentage year-on-year decline in fossil power generation since July 2024, down 3.9% compared to last November, and down 6% compared to two years ago (see Figures 3 and 4). Hydropower surged to 97 TWh, up 17.8% yoy, reflecting favourable hydrological conditions late in the year, while solar power generation rose 47% yoy.  

Figure 3 

Figure 4

In January-November 2025, coal generation fell by 0.5% yoy to 5,543 TWh, accounting for 55% of total generation, while gas-fired power rose modestly to 261 TWh (+1.6% yoy).  

Taken together, zero-emissions sources accounted for 42% of China’s electricity generation on a year-to-date basis, on par with the percentage observed since March 2025, and far exceeding the 25% target by 2030 set in China’s 14th Five Year Plan (see table below).  

Table: China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) renewable energy targets and progress to date 

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