China's Renewables Boom Faces Record Clean Power Curtailments
Grid constraints and rising coal-fired power generation in China led to soaring curtailment rates of solar and wind power generation in the first half of the year. China curtailed as much as 360 terawatt-hours (TWh) of solar and wind generation between January and June, up by 49% from a year earlier, a report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) and Global Energy Monitor…
China's renewable energy surge is encountering record clean power curtailments, according to a new report. In the first half of the year, grid constraints and coal-fired power generation led to a staggering 360 terawatt-hours of solar and wind curtailment, marking a 49% increase from the previous year, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air and Global Energy Monitor.
The amount of wasted renewable electricity would have been enough to meet all of China's electricity demand growth in the first half of 2026, potentially curbing coal power generation. As China adds more solar and wind installations, these assets sometimes need to be curtailed when generation surpasses grid capacity. Wood Mackenzie predicts that curtailment rates will exceed 5% in seven and 21 provinces within the next decade, posing risks to income stability and investment.
Senior analyst Sharon Feng warns that provinces with high curtailment rates and fluctuating power prices will struggle to attract investment under China's new pricing mechanism. The surge in coal generation this year has exacerbated the oversupply problem, with wasted solar and wind power exceeding the entire increase in power demand.
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