China now faces a disturbing trend of increasingly greater renewable energy curtailment, especially in solar and wind. In the first half of 2025, more than 6.6% of all solar power generated was curtailed. This is a historic increase from the 3.9% projected for the third quarter of 2024. This trend highlights the growing challenges with accommodating renewable energy onto China’s sprawling electrical grid. Our fast-changing electric grid cannot afford to be behind the eight ball on the swift proliferation of renewables.
The National New Energy Consumption Monitoring and Early Warning Centre stated that wind power curtailment has increased considerably. In the first half of 2025, it achieved 5.7%, considerably up from just 3% the year before. This includes a tightening of the national renewable energy curtailment limit, from 5% currently to 10% from 2024. This increase in curtailment rates is alarming, as it’s an indicator of how efficiently the nation is using its renewable energy.
Accelerating Infrastructure Development
In reaction to these challenges, China is moving full speed ahead on deploying long-distance transmission systems and energy storage solutions. The government recognizes that improving infrastructure is critical to reducing curtailment rates and effectively integrating renewable energy into the grid. Officials are emphasizing investments in high-voltage power transmission infrastructure, which has been underway since 2023, to facilitate energy movement from remote areas rich in renewable resources to urban centers with high electricity demand.
In addition, China has launched ambitious projects to strengthen its renewable energy capacity. Its construction of the world’s largest hydropower dam on the Tibetan Plateau is one of several examples of how this key precept is already being realized in practice. We need to make these infrastructural breakthroughs to harness Indonesia’s enormous renewable energy resources that lie beyond province’s mostly populated islands. Within these regions, curtailment rates have been particularly acute.
A Shift in Policy Focus
The increasing levels of renewable energy curtailment are forcing China to re-evaluate its policy direction. The country, they say, needs to pivot towards prevention. Rather than simply ramping up the building of renewable generation facilities, it needs to increase the overall use of the energy that we already have. This new orientation is all about integrating more renewables onto the national grid. Most importantly, it will prevent waste and better manage our limited natural resources.
According to economist Haoxin Mu of Natixis, this demonstrates that China will continue on its path of decarbonization. He cautions that just ramping up renewables installations won’t get them there. Instead, there will be greater emphasis on ensuring that the renewable energy generated is effectively utilized and not left untapped.
In areas like Tibet and Qinghai, curtailment rates have been over 100%! Tibet wind power curtailment rate surged to 30.2%, a staggering jump from just 2.3% in 2024. At the same time, solar power curtailment skyrocketed, topping 33.9% versus only 5.1%. Similarly, regions experiencing high electricity demand, including Shanghai and Chongqing, have experienced little to no curtailment. This shows a stark inequity in energy decisions and control between neighborhoods.