China’s spectacular growth in renewable energy generation, 20 years in the making, dominates headlines. But the foundation of the energy transition — the infrastructure needed to integrate renewables with the broader grid — has become a central concern for Chinese policymakers. Changes in the sources of energy demand and supply are producing new pressures on grid stabilisation and balancing, which if left unaddressed, will pose a challenge to further renewable growth and decarbonisation.

The success of China’s clean energy industries over the last 20 years has become clear. Taking stock with January 2026 marking the 20th anniversary of the Renewable Energy Law of 2005 coming into force, what is very noticeable is that the ‘new three’ industries of solar cells, electric vehicles (EVs) and lithium batteries accounted for 10 per cent of the country’s GDP in 2024. Clean energy adoption is also impressive — China’s total installed solar capacity is more than half of the world’s total, and its total installed wind capacity exceeds Europe and the United States combined.

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