December 2, 2015 - China Announces Expansion of Renewable Energy Projects

On December 2, 2015, China announced a massive expansion of renewable energy projects, approving 15 onshore wind projects adding 3,000 MW through competitive bidding. That same year, China broke world records by adding 32.5 GW of wind and 18.3 GW of solar capacity in a single year. You're looking at a country that invested over $102 billion in clean energy in 2015 alone — and there's much more to this story than the numbers suggest.

Key Takeaways

• On December 2, 2015, China approved 15 onshore wind projects across five concession bidding rounds, adding 3,000 MW of new capacity.
• China's 13th Five-Year Plan set solar targets of 110 GW and wind targets exceeding 210 GW, backed by 2.5 trillion yuan in investment.
• China invested US$102.9 billion in renewables in 2015, a 17% increase from 2014, making it the world's largest clean energy investor.
• China broke world records in 2015, adding 32.5 GW of wind and 18.3 GW of solar capacity in a single year.
• China's renewable expansion carried global influence, with Chinese companies involved in three of the top five global renewable deals in 2015.

What Did China Actually Announce About Renewable Energy in 2015?

In 2015, China didn't just set renewable energy records—it shattered them. You're looking at a country that added 32.5 GW of wind capacity and 18.3 GW of solar capacity in a single year, both world records. Its total solar capacity hit 43 GW by Q4 2015, surpassing Germany.

These weren't accidental milestones. China's policy announcements tied directly to its 12th Five-Year Plan drove this capacity growth, meeting binding targets including an 18.2% energy intensity reduction and a 20% carbon intensity reduction. The government also raised its 2015 solar installation target by 30%, from 17.8 GW to 21.3 GW.

Meanwhile, non-fossil energy reached 12% of total energy use, keeping China on track toward its 2020 goal of 15%. China also ranked #1 in renewables investment globally in 2015, reflecting the scale of financial commitment behind these energy transition efforts. Between 2006 and 2012, China achieved a 23.6% reduction in energy consumption per unit of GDP, demonstrating the long-term effectiveness of its emissions-reduction policies. Similar commitments to long-term engineering confidence were seen in the automotive sector, where Tesla's Model S carried an 8-year unlimited mileage drivetrain warranty, signaling how industries beyond energy were also making durable infrastructure promises during this era.

How Much Did China Invest in Clean Energy That Year?

China's record-breaking capacity additions didn't happen by accident—they required serious money. In 2015, China poured US$102.9 billion into renewables, excluding large hydro—a 17% jump from 2014. That investment scale made China the world's largest clean energy investor that year, outspending the U.S. and Europe combined.

You can see the weight of those capital flows in the global numbers: renewables hit $286 billion worldwide, doubling coal and gas spending. China alone matched two and a half times U.S. investment levels. Three of the top five global deals involved Chinese companies. It was also the first year developing countries led renewable investment globally, with China driving that shift. The numbers confirm this wasn't incremental progress—it was a deliberate, large-scale financial commitment. China further reinforced its manufacturing dominance, with five of the six largest solar-module manufacturers in the world located within its borders. That dominance has only deepened in the decades since, with China now producing 80% of the world's solar modules and 60% of wind turbines globally. This push toward large-scale energy infrastructure mirrors other ambitious technology initiatives of the era, such as Project Loon, which sought to connect remote and rural populations through stratospheric balloons before shutting down in January 2021.

Which Renewable Projects Got Approved on December 2, 2015?

On December 2, 2015, China's National Energy Administration greenlit 15 onshore wind projects across five concession bidding rounds, adding 3,000 MW to the country's wind installed capacity. These approved projects pushed large-scale wind farms into broader deployment, with grid-connection prices determined through competitive bidding.

Beyond wind farms, China also advanced solar parks and biomass plants as part of its renewable expansion. The 12th Five-Year Plan had already raised the solar PV installation target to 15 GW by 2015, reflecting Beijing's push to grow domestic demand amid anti-dumping pressures from Europe, the US, and India. You can see how these coordinated approvals across multiple renewable sectors signaled China's intent to aggressively scale clean energy capacity through structured policy mechanisms and targeted investment. Estimates suggest that 10–20 million people in China still lacked access to electricity, making the expansion of solar PV installations a critical component of addressing rural electrification gaps.

Supporting this renewable scale-up, the China Development Bank announced 250 billion RMB in special loans for the Belt and Road Initiative, including dedicated tranches for infrastructure and financial cooperation, providing a financing backbone for large-scale clean energy projects both domestically and across partner countries.

What Are China's Renewable Energy Targets Under the 13th Five Year Plan?

The 13th Five-Year Plan sets ambitious renewable energy targets that push China's clean energy buildout far beyond what earlier plans achieved. You'll see a clear energy breakdown across multiple sectors. Hydropower must reach 340 GW, while wind power targets exceed 210 GW. Solar power must hit 110 GW, splitting between 60 GW of distributed photovoltaic and 45 GW of utility-scale plants. Biomass generation must reach 15 GW.

These renewable targets also require non-fossil fuels to cover 20% of primary energy consumption by 2030. China's total renewable energy investment reaches 2.5 trillion yuan throughout the plan period. Carbon intensity must drop 18% from 2015 levels by 2020, and coal's share in energy consumption must fall below 58%. The plan targets a reduction of approximately 1.4 billion tons of CO2 emissions by 2020. The plan also calls for nuclear capacity growth of between 38 and 49 GW as part of its broader low-carbon energy mix strategy. Similar to Canada's approach of strengthening energy efficiency legislation to reduce waste and promote cleaner technologies, China's plan enforces compliance measures that shape how energy products are designed and brought to market.

How Is China Reshaping the Global Renewable Energy Market?

Building on those ambitious domestic targets, China's push into renewables hasn't stopped at its borders—it's actively reshaping how the global clean energy market operates. You can see this through its Belt Diplomacy strategy, where initiatives like "One Belt, One Road" and the Silk Road Fund position renewable investment as a geopolitical tool. Three of the top five global renewable deals in 2015 involved Chinese companies, including China Three Gorges Corporation's acquisition of Brazilian hydroelectric plants.

With institutional Finance Outflows potentially rising from 2% to 10% offshore by 2020, China could inject $1 trillion into foreign renewable markets. Domestic overcapacity and upcoming tariff cuts are further pushing Chinese firms to compete internationally, displacing Western companies that once dominated these project opportunities. These global ambitions were backed by firm national mandates, as China had set an on-grid wind power target of 100 GW to be achieved by the end of 2015.

China's domestic renewable investment surged to nearly $110 billion in 2015, nearly double that of the United States, underscoring the scale of financial commitment driving both its national buildout and its expanding international influence.