This decline coincides with a 9% year-on-year surge in renewable energy output, which now accounts for 41.2% of the country’s total supply. Wind and solar installations are the primary drivers of this expansion, together contributing nearly a quarter of all electricity produced. While state media frames these figures as evidence of an accelerating green transition, the reality remains anchored in traditional power sources.

Beijing’s latest five-year energy plan clarifies that coal will not be phased out but rather re-positioned. Authorities explicitly identify coal as the "bottom-line guarantee" for the grid, intended to provide stability when intermittent renewable sources falter. As China targets a 30% clean energy share by 2030, coal is expected to evolve into a flexible backstop, ensuring industrial reliability during peak demand periods like the recent heat waves. Consequently, while the dominance of coal in the energy mix is officially receding, its role as a strategic security buffer remains absolute.