In 2025, China significantly outpaced the United States in energy capacity expansion, adding 540 GW of new power, compared to the U.S.’s 63 GW. Beijing’s aggressive investment of nearly $500 billion in energy included a remarkable 430 GW from wind and solar sources, pushing its total solar capacity beyond 1.2 terawatts. However, the rapid pace of this growth has strained China’s grid, which is unable to absorb the new power as quickly as it is being generated, highlighting the need for infrastructure improvements. Elon Musk has noted China’s strategic focus on solar energy, indicating that their manufacturing capabilities position them as a leader in the clean energy transition.
China added 8X more power capacity than the US in 2025 with $500B investment
