Congress leader Shashi Tharoor lauded China’s rapid advancements in renewable energy, emphasizing that the nation installed an impressive 256 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity in the first half of 2025, surpassing the combined total of the rest of the world. Tharoor’s remarks were posted on X, where he stated, “China just installed a mind-boggling 256 GW of solar capacity in the first half of 2025, more than the rest of the world combined! This highlights their aggressive leadership in the global clean energy race.”
Further, Tharoor pointed out that with its vast untapped solar potential, India could draw lessons from China’s proactive approach. He suggested that India has the opportunity to emulate this model, potentially establishing a global power grid and achieving energy self-sufficiency. He also highlighted the possibility of India becoming an energy exporter, advocating for extensive solar power deployment across barren lands from the Thar Desert to the Deccan Plateau, using tags like #SolarPower for #CleanEnergy and #ClimateAction.
His comments align with reports indicating that, for the first time in history, China’s wind and solar power capacity has eclipsed that of thermal power. By the end of March 2025, China’s combined installed capacity of wind and photovoltaic power reached 1.482 billion kilowatts, while electricity generation from these sources amounted to 536.4 billion kilowatt-hours in the first quarter, constituting 22.5% of the nation’s overall power consumption—an increase of 4.3 percentage points from the previous year.
By the end of 2024, China’s total installed renewable power capacity stood at roughly 1.41 billion kilowatts, exceeding 40% of its electricity capacity and surpassing coal-fired power for the first time. Since 2013, China’s wind capacity has increased sixfold, while solar capacity has expanded by more than 180 times. Currently, China’s new annual installations account for over 40% of the global total, positioning the country as a leader in the transition to green energy.
