China's 2024 energy production is characterized by a conflict between coal and renewables, as a recent analysis shows continued approvals of coal projects undermining the growth in clean energy. Despite record increases in renewable capacity, including 356GW of wind and solar, there are concerns that the country's carbon emissions targets may not be met due to ongoing investments in coal. The report highlights a significant drop in renewable energy utilization towards the end of 2024, suggesting potential curtailment issues that could hinder progress towards carbon neutrality goals.
"Despite solar and wind soaring, helping drive China's ailing economy in 2023-2024, their usage inexplicably dropped off in the later part of the year, indicating rising curtailment that may go unreported."
"Coal-fired power generation could decline, yet the coal industry continues to expect growth, revealing a conflict between coal investments and the urgent need to decarbonise the power system."
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