Photos of China’s Green Energy Transition

January 16, 2026

posted by Jason Kottke  ·  gift link

These photos by Chu Weimin show the mind-boggling scale of China’s green energy buildout.

Last year China installed more than half of all wind and solar added globally. In May alone, it added enough renewable energy to power Poland, installing solar panels at a rate of roughly 100 every second.

The massive buildout is happening across the country, from crowded eastern cities increasingly topped by rooftop solar panels to remote western deserts where colossal wind farms sprawl across the landscape.