New Report: China Dominates Clean Energy Manufacturing as U.S. Retreats Amid Global Energy Crisis
For Immediate Release
May 12, 2026
Contact:
Tom Taylor, Atlas Public Policy, tom.taylor@atlaspolicy.com
Emily Samsel, Clean Power Information Project, emily@cleanpowerinformation.com
New Report: China Dominates Clean Energy Manufacturing as U.S. Retreats Amid Global Energy Crisis
Atlas Public Policy and the Clean Power Information Project’s new global clean energy supply chain analysis reveals China’s global energy advantage ahead of historic Trump-Xi summit
Washington, D.C. – Ahead of the Trump-Xi summit in Beijing this week, Atlas Public Policy and the Clean Power Information Project today released “The Race for Clean Energy Leadership: The State of the Global Clean Energy Supply Chain and Deployment,” a new comprehensive analysis of nearly $1.1 trillion in global clean energy manufacturing investments from 2019 to 2025. In the first year of Trump’s second term, China announced $39 billion in new clean energy manufacturing while the U.S. had its first net-negative clean energy investment year since at least 2012 – with a net loss of $22.4 billion. On every measure, the report finds, China is winning the global clean energy race.
The findings are especially timely as the Iran war drives up oil prices. Countries that have invested heavily in domestic clean energy, led by China, are far better insulated from the turmoil. The new report is built on Atlas Public Policy’s original inflation-adjusted database of clean energy manufacturing investments, covering over 540 companies across 52 countries.
“U.S. industry is under serious threat right now. At the same time that Chinese companies expand their manufacturing footprint at home and abroad, we’re seeing cancellations, uncertainty, and missed opportunities in our country,” said Nick Nigro, Founder Atlas Public Policy. “If we want American industry to compete in the next era of energy, policy has to match the scale of the opportunity.”
Key Report Findings:
More than half of all global clean energy investment is from Chinese companies
Chinese companies are investing more in clean energy than all other countries combined, $509.7 billion since 2019. China leads in solar (79 percent global share), wind (56 percent), batteries (48 percent), and EVs (35 percent). Among the 25 companies with the highest announced clean energy manufacturing investment worldwide, 14 are headquartered in China. There are 86 Chinese companies that have announced more than $1 billion in manufacturing investments, compared with just 19 U.S. companies.
The United States is a distant second, and losing ground
The U.S. has seen only $236.1 billion in total announced clean manufacturing investments since 2019. In 2025, $33 billion in U.S. clean energy manufacturing projects were canceled, the largest single-country cancellation total ever recorded, exceeding all other countries combined. The net loss of $22 billion in announced U.S. clean energy manufacturing investments meant 2025 was the first net-negative year since at least 2012. From ending many clean energy tax credits, to volatile tariff policies, the Trump Administration and Republican-controlled Congress have made the U.S. increasingly unpredictable for doing clean energy business.
China is positioned to benefit from accelerating clean energy demand
Even before the energy shocks from the war on Iran began, demand for clean technology was surging. Now, preliminary data found that Chinese exports of solar, EVs and batteries were up 70 percent in March 2026 compared to a year earlier. Sustained high fossil fuel prices will only increase demand as nations look to provide their economies with greater certainty and price stability.
China is aggressively building new clean energy markets abroad
Twenty-five percent of Chinese clean manufacturing investments from 2019 to 2025 were outside of China, as the country increasingly grows production abroad to skirt trade restrictions and assert itself as the global leader in the future of energy. In 2025, for the first time since at least 2019, Chinese companies announced more solar manufacturing investment outside China than inside the country. In total, Chinese companies have announced more than $136 billion in investments outside of China, more than four times as much as U.S. companies.
Batteries and solar lead global clean manufacturing investment worldwide
Battery manufacturing accounts for $514.9 billion of global announced investment since 2019, the single largest sector. Solar follows at $323.9 billion, electric vehicle manufacturing at $207 billion, and wind at $45.2 billion. Global installed solar capacity reached 1,865 GW in 2024, up 32 percent in a single year.
The report makes clear that U.S. policies that further discourage clean energy manufacturing and deployment will weaken America’s position in the global clean energy supply chain. Less U.S. engagement allows China to further consolidate its market leadership position.
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About Atlas Public Policy
Atlas Public Policy is a data and policy research firm that empowers decision-makers with data and technology to drive meaningful change. For over a decade, we’ve built accessible tools, conducted research, and provided expert advice on issues like electrification, clean manufacturing, decarbonization, climate policy, and water infrastructure. www.atlaspolicy.com
About the Clean Power Information Project
The Clean Power Information Project is a hub for the facts on how clean energy powers communities across the United States. cleanpowerinformation.com