China has 4,235 power plants in this atlas, with 1,415,067 MW of reported capacity. The largest listed plant is Three Gorges Dam (22,500 MW, hydro; current status unverified). By number of records the most common technologies are solar, hydro and coal. Grid operators listed here include State Grid Corporation of China and China Southern Power Grid. Electricity is regulated by National Energy Administration. Renewables supplied 33.7% of its electricity in 2024.
Reported capacity is the rated size of the listed installations, not electricity being produced now. Source dates and coverage differ, so newer facilities may be absent and historical records may remain.
THE ELECTRICITY SYSTEM IN CONTEXT
China: rapid renewable expansion within a coal-heavy electricity system
Reporting scope: 2024 national generation and renewable additions.
New capacity and existing generation answer different questions
The IEA describes China as 2024's largest electricity system, with almost 60% coal generation and about 35% renewables. China also supplied almost two-thirds of newly connected global renewable capacity. New additions and generation from the existing fleet are different measures.
The IEA uses DC ratings for Chinese solar additions and includes utility-scale and distributed installations. An atlas sum may use AC ratings or omit distributed systems. Read the solar ratings guide before comparing these totals.
Coal supplies about 60% of power, with the world's largest wind, solar and hydro fleets. Provincial spot markets are being joined into a national market.
Not part of a larger synchronous grid or regional power pool.
What does “Wholesale market” mean?
Power plants compete to sell electricity in a wholesale market or pool, dispatched by a system operator. Most consumers still buy from a regulated distribution company at approved tariffs.
China has more than one grid operator and several regional and provincial trading arrangements. The two groups listed here do not represent every local network.
References reviewed 2026-09-29. Logos are each organisation’s own site icon, shown to identify it. Selected organisations, not an exhaustive list of licence holders.
China is in Eastern Asia. Its coastal or island geography provides a different setting for electricity infrastructure from inland systems. This profile connects country reference information with the historical station inventory and reported electricity generation.
Capital
Beijing
Languages
Chinese
Region
Eastern Asia
Geographic reference: Countries geographic database (ODbL). Boundaries and names are for orientation; language listings are introductory, not exhaustive. Banner map: Natural Earth boundaries (public domain) with this atlas’s station records.
The source inventory contains 4,235 records for China. Select a fuel in the map to explore where its stations are located, then open a record to inspect reported capacity and provenance.
Inventory coverage
4,235 source records. 0 reported operational in their source snapshot; this is not live status.
Browse 4,235 source records, ordered by reported capacity. Ownership and operating status describe the source snapshot; they may have changed. Missing information is shown explicitly.
