BEIJING: China has officially crossed a historic milestone, with its cumulative installed solar power capacity surpassing 1 terawatt (TW), according to data released by the National Energy Administration (NEA). As of the end of May 2025, total solar capacity stood at 1.08 TW (1,080 GW), marking a 56.9% year-on-year increase.
The growth has been fueled by record-breaking installations in the first five months of 2025, during which China added 197.85 GW of new solar capacity—an astounding 388% surge from the same period last year. May alone saw 92.92 GW installed, up 105.5% from April, setting a new monthly record.
NEA reported that the country’s total power generation capacity had reached 3.61 TW by May-end, reflecting an 18.8% annual rise. Solar remains the fastest-growing segment, bolstered by favorable government policies supporting distributed solar and integration of renewables into market trading mechanisms.
Analysts attribute the rapid growth to policy incentives and a rush to complete projects ahead of anticipated regulatory changes in the latter half of 2025. However, some warn of a potential slowdown in the coming months as the policy-driven momentum cools.
China’s solar journey began with just 1 GW of capacity in 2010 under the Golden Sun Program and hit 100 GW by mid-2017. Now, eight years later, the country has achieved an unprecedented 1 TW of installed solar—solidifying its position as the global leader in renewable energy.
