All 31 Chinese Provinces Prioritize New Energy in Plans

A comprehensive survey of all 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in China has revealed that new energy has become the single most dominant priority in local industrial strategies for the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–2030). According to a report published by Xinhua News via the Economic Information Daily, every single province mentions new energy in its planning outline, making it the “biggest consensus” in local industrial development across the country.

Context: A Nation United Behind Green Energy

The near-unanimous focus on new energy comes as no surprise given China’s remarkable achievements in the sector. By the end of 2025, the country’s cumulative installed wind and solar capacity reached 1.84 billion kilowatts, accounting for 47.3% of total installed capacity and historically surpassing thermal power for the first time. The 15th Five-Year Plan, officially released on March 13, 2026, names new energy as one of eight major emerging industries alongside next-generation IT, new materials, intelligent connected NEVs, robotics, biomedicine, high-end equipment, and aerospace, as documented in the official plan text.

Key Developments: Provincial Strategies in Detail

The provincial plans reveal a nuanced picture of differentiated priorities. Ten coastal provinces specifically mention offshore wind power, with Shanghai setting a target for total wind power installed capacity to exceed 10 GW. Nine provinces address nuclear power development — Jiangxi is advancing the Pengze nuclear power plant site with the aim of being among the “first inland batch,” while Gansu and Heilongjiang mention developing thorium-based molten salt reactors.

Beyond new energy, the survey found that 30 provinces mention “new materials” and “biomedicine,” 29 provinces mention “hydrogen energy,” 28 mention “biomanufacturing,” 27 mention “intelligent connected vehicles,” and 25 mention “embodied intelligence” (humanoid robots).

However, the picture shifts dramatically when it comes to more technologically advanced future industries. Only 15 provinces mention quantum technology, and just 11 mention nuclear fusion. As Xiao Hongwei, a researcher at the National Information Center under the NDRC, explained, the six major future industries differ greatly in technological maturity and industrialization pathways. Biomanufacturing is accelerating because its technology chain is relatively well-connected with traditional industries, while nuclear fusion remains in the攻坚 stage from laboratory to engineering verification.

Analysis: The Central-Local Tension Over Homogenization

The survey implicitly addresses a tension that has been brewing since July 2025, when President Xi Jinping publicly criticized local governments for “piling into” new energy, artificial intelligence, and computing power. As reported by BBC Chinese, Xi asked pointedly: “When launching projects, it’s always the same few: artificial intelligence, computing power, new energy vehicles. Do all provinces in the country need to develop industries in these directions?”

This criticism was part of a broader “anti-involution” campaign that included revisions to the Anti-Unfair Competition Law in June 2025 and measures proposed by the Central Finance and Economics Committee. The May 2026 Xinhua article reflects the ongoing tension between central government concerns about homogeneous development and the reality that all 31 provinces have made new energy their top priority.

Xiao Hongwei addressed this directly, stating that forward-looking布局 concerns both “grabbing position” and “differentiated positioning” of regional development. He emphasized that “grabbing position” does not equal “homogenization,” and that more attention must be paid to differentiated development to avoid low-level redundant construction.

Financial Commitment: Billions in Government Investment Funds

The provincial strategies are backed by substantial financial commitments. Twenty-three provinces explicitly mention government investment funds in their planning outlines. Guangdong Province launched a 100-billion-yuan provincial strategic emerging industry investment guidance fund on May 25, 2026, marking the province’s first永续经营 company-style provincial government investment fund. Anhui plans to strengthen its provincial emerging industry guidance funds and state-owned capital fund systems. At the national level, central state-owned enterprises invested 2.5 trillion yuan in strategic emerging industries in 2025, representing 41.8% of total investment, according to China Daily.

At least 21 provinces also mention various types of “pilot zones” (先导区) as vehicles for industrial development. Sichuan, for example, aims to build a nationally influential AI innovation source and application pilot zone, while Xinjiang mentions accelerating the construction of a green computing power pilot zone.

What’s Next: The Road to 2030

Looking ahead, China’s new energy sector is expected to maintain 300 GW of annual growth during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, with total installed capacity projected to reach 3 billion kW by 2030. The NDRC has emphasized that emerging industries and future industries will become new drivers of economic growth during this period.

Several outstanding questions remain. How will the central government enforce “differentiated development” to prevent the homogenization Xi Jinping criticized? Will the massive scale of government investment funds lead to efficient capital allocation or wasteful duplication? And which provinces will successfully transition from traditional industries to these new energy and high-tech sectors?

What is clear is that China’s coordinated industrial strategy represents one of the most ambitious government-led economic transformations in modern history — one that will shape not only the country’s own development trajectory but also global markets for renewable energy, electric vehicles, and advanced manufacturing for years to come.