Jan 16, 2026 20:00:00

Various photos showing the enormity of China's solar and wind power generation facilities

China once relied on fossil fuels to generate electricity, accounting for about one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, but in recent years

has been rapidly building power plants using renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power. Yale E360 , the online magazine of the Yale School of the Environment, has published photos showing the enormity of renewable energy power plants being built in China.

Photos Capture the Breathtaking Scale of China's Wind and Solar Buildout - Yale E360
https://e360.yale.edu/digest/china-renewable-photo-essay

More than half of the solar and wind power plants installed worldwide in 2025 are expected to be in China, and the number installed in May alone is enough to power the entire country of Poland. Chinese photographer Weimin Zhu has been trying to capture these plants from the air.

'From the ground, it's hard to grasp the scale of these power plants,' Chu said. 'But when you get up in the sky, you can see their geometric structure, rhythm, and relationship to the mountains, desert, and ocean.' Yale E360 is showcasing 10 carefully selected photographs from Chu's 2025 exhibition.

A wind power plant near Heidushan, a scenic spot in Qinghai Province