(Bloomberg) -- China could hit its 2030 renewables target at least five years early if local governments meet the ambitious goals they’ve laid out.

Development plans from 22 of China’s 34 regional governments are aiming for more than 600 gigawatts of renewable capacity combined to be added from 2021 through 2025. That would more than double the 535 gigawatts of wind and solar capacity in place at the of 2020 and approach President Xi Jinping’s target of having 1,200 gigawatts of renewables in place by the end of the decade. 

With 12 of the local government areas yet to announce their ambitions, including some with rich offshore wind or rooftop solar potential such as Shanghai and Anhui, the growth may be even more spectacular. China has repeatedly broken annual wind or solar addition records in the past few years as costs drop and developers rush to meet national subsidy deadlines to build the world’s largest renewable generation fleet and may decide to set an even more ambitious national goal.  

Local targets tend to be more aspirational in nature than the dependable goals set by the central government in Beijing. Still, the provincial plans follow industry associations and massive state-owned utilities in forecasting that China will likely shatter Xi’s 2030 target.

The country installed more than 100 gigawatts of solar and wind power last year. A massive renewable build-out in the country’s desert areas and a national push to install solar panels on rooftops are set to continue driving that stellar pace. 

 

 

 

 

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