The power sector accounts for roughly half of China's coal consumption, making it the largest single source of carbon emissions in the country. The sector has experienced rapid growth, and while there has been an increase in power from renewable sources like installed onshore wind and solar PV capacity, coal-fired capacity continues to expand, which threatens to undermine emissions-reductions efforts.

The Clean Power Program aims to encourage the power sector to move onto a cleaner, low-carbon path that aligns with the global goal of limiting warming to 2°C. Technically, this means power sector emissions should peak around the mid-2020s and then decline, and that by mid-century, renewables would make up more than 80% of China’s power supply.