BEIJING, Dec 16: Despite China’s aggressive push for renewable energy, thermal power generation—primarily coal-fired—rose by 1.9% year-on-year during the first 11 months of 2024. Official data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicates that thermal power output reached 5.74 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh) from January to November.
While natural gas-fired power plants contribute a smaller share, coal remains the dominant source of thermal energy. The slight increase in fossil fuel-based power highlights ongoing challenges in balancing China’s energy transition with growing electricity demand.
This modest rise comes amid China’s rapid expansion of renewable energy infrastructure, signaling the continued reliance on traditional power sources to stabilize the grid as it integrates intermittent renewables like solar and wind.
