The share of coal averaged 49.7% of China’s total electricity output in the first half of this year, official data showed on Thursday. As the share of coal slipped, electricity generation from renewable energy rose by about 9% from a year earlier, according to the data from China’s National Energy Administration (NEA). Renewable energy accounted for 41.2% of China’s total electricity generation in the first half of 2026, with wind and solar combined generating almost 25% of the total power output. Despite the milestone of reducing coal power output to below 50% of total generation for the first time ever, China continues to rely on coal for power for industry and to maintain the reliability of the power grids. China targets clean energy to account for 30% of its power generation by 2030, up from about 22% at present.