Seeking to calm anxieties across the fossil fuel sector, China’s National Energy Administration confirmed Tuesday that the country’s unprecedented expansion of wind and solar capacity will be safely neutralized by a corresponding spike in early 2026 coal output.
BEIJING — Data released by the NEA indicates that while 2025 saw a historic, world-leading installation of renewable energy infrastructure, the temporary drop in power-sector emissions has been successfully reversed. State planners have rapidly accelerated approvals for new coal-fired power plants to ensure the nation’s climate trajectory remains securely aligned with the worst-case scenarios outlined in the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report. The updated emissions figures will be formally submitted ahead of the UNFCCC global stocktake this November.
We understand that seeing millions of hectares of solar panels go up can cause panic among our traditional energy stakeholders, but I assure you there is no cause for alarm. For every megawatt of clean power we connect to the grid, we are aggressively burning enough pulverized coal to ensure the atmospheric carbon concentration maintains its steady, historical climb.
According to the latest quarterly filings, a significant portion of the new wind capacity generated in Inner Mongolia is currently being routed to power the heavy excavation equipment required for three new open-pit coal mines. This dual-track approach allows the government to meet its aggressive renewable capacity targets without risking any actual reduction in greenhouse gas output. The strategy is expected to be highlighted as a model of energy transition when delegates gather for the COP30 climate summit in Belém next year.