To support China’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, we find that 2 to 4 terawatts are needed each for wind and solar power, eight to ten times its 2022 installations. A highly spatially resolved model reflecting key trade-offs in land availability per current government policies and grid integration shows that 80% of solar and 55% of wind should be constructed within 100 km of major load centers. The model also suggests that terawatt-level energy storage should be deployed from scratch, and ultra-high voltage inter-provincial transmission should double/triple its current size to ensure sufficient power supply. When land use is subject to even tighter policy restrictions, at least 25% of solar power should be distributed generation.
