In this paper, we reviewed four key themes in the study of clean power transition in China, the resources potential, the technology advancement, the air pollution control, and the policy and reform of the power sector. In each theme, we summarized the ongoing research development and highlighted some key areas for further study. Given that China's power sector transition is a huge task, we hope this review will add some discussions into the ongoing conversation. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.