Wind and solar in China just passed 2 billion kilowatts — more capacity than most continents

By the end of September, China's combined wind and solar capacity had broken through 2 billion kilowatts, according to National Energy Administration data reported by China Daily — solar at 1.31 billion kilowatts, up 16.5% in a year, and wind at 700 million kilowatts, up 20.4%. Around 170 million kilowatts of new wind and solar were added in the first nine months of 2026 alone. To feel the scale: 2 billion kilowatts is roughly double the entire electricity generating capacity of the European Union, from two technologies that barely registered a generation ago. 'The 2-billion-kW scale provides sufficient green electricity to guarantee economic and social development, marking significant achievements in the nation's green and low-carbon transition,' said Liu Zhiqiang of the China Electricity Council. Whatever comes next in the world's energy story, the centre of gravity of clean power has plainly moved.

SDG 7 · Affordable and clean energy — Mechanism: infrastructure build