China, the world's largest coal consumer, generated less than 50% of its electricity from the fossil fuel in the six months to June, marking a first for the country which has been promoting the use of renewable energy, officials said. Coal's share of the power mix was 49.7%, Xing Yiteng, deputy director general of the energy administration's development and planning office, told a press conference on Thursday.

Coal-fired power accounted for less than 50 percent of China’s total electricity generation in the first half of the year for the first time on record, signaling an accelerating…

China, the world’s largest coal consumer, has been promoting the use of renewable energy, with a deadline for coal consumption to peak no later than 2030.

Landmark achievement backed by rapid expansion of renewable energy