China clean-power curtailment up 49% to 360 TWh in H1 as grids hit limits
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
China has curtailed 360 terawatt-hours of wind and solar power in the first half of 2026, up 49% from a year earlier, according to a report by Global Energy Monitor and the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air. The volume is enough to power Mexico for a year, and analysts say the waste is structural rather than a temporary bottleneck as grid constraints and coal supply contracts force renewable output to be shut off.
Key Facts
- Global Energy Monitor and CREA estimate China curtailed 360 TWh of wind and solar power in January-June 2026, a 49% increase from a year earlier.
- China's National Energy Administration reported curtailment rates of 8.6% for solar and 9.1% for wind in H1 2026, while GEM and CREA put total wind and solar curtailment at 26.1%.
- New solar installations in China fell 66% this year, which the report links to curtailments and removal of guaranteed fixed prices for renewables.
- China's coal-fired power generation is expected to rise again this year, reversing a first-in-a-decade decline.
Curtailment Estimates
Global Energy Monitor and the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air estimate China rejected 360 TWh of clean power from January to June, up 49% from a year earlier. China's National Energy Administration reported 8.6% of solar output and 9.1% of wind output was curtailed in the first half of 2026, while GEM and CREA put the total at 26.1% using weather-adjusted data. Insufficient transmission infrastructure and supply contracts that guarantee operation of newly built coal-fired plants are forcing the rejection of abundant renewable output, analysts say.
Renewables Investment Cooling
Curtailments and a new policy removing guaranteed fixed prices for renewables contributed to a 66% drop in new solar installations in China this year. Yuan Ren, analyst at Wood Mackenzie, said curtailment in China is structural, not a temporary bottleneck, and expects pressure through the rest of this decade. Shawn Shuwei Zhang, chief economist at Draworld Environment Institute, said worsening curtailment makes pre-assessment of project financial viability harder.
Coal and Global Grid Limits
China's coal-fired power generation is expected to rise again this year, reversing a first-in-a-decade decline. Grids in Australia and Japan also failed to keep pace with a surging renewables buildout, the report notes. Curtailments are emerging as a major challenge to renewables globally and underscore continued reliance on fossil fuels.
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China clean-power curtailment up 49% to 360 TWh in H1 as grids hit limits
