Solar outgenerated gas across Asia for the first time, driven by China, India, and cheaper panels

In Asia, solar power has crossed a notable threshold: over the past year, it produced more electricity than gas, underscoring how quickly the region's power mix is evolving.

Much of that change reflects rapid solar adoption in countries including China, India, and Pakistan, with lower-cost panels helping spread installations more widely across the region.

What's happening?

According to an analysis from Carbon Brief, in the 12 months leading up to April 2026, solar power generated 1,727 terawatt-hours of electricity across Asia. That was enough to make solar the continent's third-largest source of electricity, edging past natural gas, which produced 1,711 terawatt-hours over the same period.

Compared with 2020, Asia is now producing almost four times as much solar electricity each year, according to Carbon Brief, and the region has supplied about 60% of the world's solar growth during that span.

China has led that expansion. Carbon Brief said the country contributed nearly three-quarters of Asia's solar growth since 2020, and record additions in 2025 pushed its installed solar capacity to 1.2 terawatts. 

Its commanding role in manufacturing has also supported panel exports to nearby markets.

Gas growth, by contrast, has fallen short of earlier expectations. Supply disruptions, elevated liquefied natural gas costs, and setbacks at import terminals, pipelines, and gas plants have all constrained expansion, even as Asia's electricity demand continues to rise.

Why does it matter?

This analysis reveals solar is gaining ground against gas in markets where planners had once assumed fossil fuels would play the larger role.

Replacing gas with solar helps cut planet-warming pollution and reduce harmful air pollution tied to fossil fuel use. In densely populated parts of Asia, that can mean cleaner air and better public health alongside cleaner electricity.

Carbon Brief also reported a global milestone in April 2026, when electricity generation from wind and solar combined surpassed generation from natural gas for the first time in a single month.

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Falling solar-panel prices and large-scale manufacturing have helped drive Asia's buildout. China is central to that picture, with more than 80% of global solar manufacturing capacity, making faster deployment easier for other countries in the region as well, the analysis noted.

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