China’s Green Electricity Certificates issuance tops 4.7B in 2024; automakers, other manufacturers actively purchasing GECs 
China had issued a total of 4.955 billion Green Electricity Certificates (GECs) as of the end of 2024, according to a report published by China’s National Energy Administration on its website Jan. 24, 2025. Of them, 4.734 billion were issued in 2024. GEC issuance has increased exponentially, with a record high 446 million GEC transactions made during 2024. The manufacturing sector is actively purchasing green electricity, with the telecommunications and manufacturing sectors, including the automotive industry, accounting for 70% of green electricity purchase.
Green Electricity Certificate
A Green Electricity Certificate (GEC) is an “identification” of green electricity generated with renewable energy. GECs are the only documentation for the production and consumption of renewable-energy electricity. A GEC represents 1,000 kWh of renewable-energy electricity.
GEC trading
GECs can be traded at the same time as green electricity or can be traded separately. As of December 2024, a total of 553 million GECs had been traded, of which 238 million were traded when green electricity was traded.
Numbers of GECs issued and traded
The table below shows the numbers of GECs issued and traded in China by energy type.
| Energy | GECs issued (10 thousand GECs) | GECs traded (10 thousand GECs) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Total through the end of 2024 | 2024 | Total through the end of 2024 | |
| Wind power | 194,071 | 205,939 | 23,882 | 29,146 |
| Solar power | 82,668 | 92,242 | 20,194 | 25,586 |
| Conventional hydropower | 157,757 | 157,757 | — | — |
| Biomass | 38,108 | 38,740 | 359 | 359 |
| Other renewable energy | 809 | 809 | 206 | 206 |
| Total | 473,413 | 495,488 | 44,640 | 55,296 |
The report of the National Energy Administration and the original data of GEC issuance and trading (both in Chinese) are available via the following links:
- “Green electricity” illuminates path to high-quality economic development of China
https://www.nea.gov.cn/20250124/4269e042d5e34684982d129bc1ae9bb8/c.html
- National Energy Administration releases data of Green Electricity Certificates issuance, trading in China for December 2024
https://www.nea.gov.cn/20250124/a893ec1c8c034525bb7679e0651fa3a1/c.html
