Bizmology |
| Posted: 11 Jan 2011 02:27 PM PST When people think of China and energy, the traditional image is that of smog-filled urban skies caused by the extensive use of older coal-fired power plants (not to mention the ubiquitous use of charcoal for home heating). In 2005 the country got 80% of its power from coal-fired plants. According to some experts, China has been building a coal-fired power plant a month for a number of years, just to keep up with its burgeoning industries and the growth of the middle class, and the increasing power demands of their modern homes, appliances, and cars, etc. But wait just a minute. A November 2010 report by The World Bank says that China is well on the way to getting 15% of its energy from non-fossil fuels by 2020. In the last few years China's power industry has been moving away from smaller, inefficient coal-fired power plants toward larger, modern and cleaner-burning facilities. In addition, the Chinese government has been investing in renewable energy sources and industries, as well as phasing in stringent fuel economy standards to reduce per-vehicle petroleum consumption as the country's love affair with the automotive vehicle begins in earnest. By 2020 China aims to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 45% from where they stood in 2005. According to a Pew Charitable Trust study, in 2009 China spent $34.6 billion on green energy technology, making it the world leader in terms of investment dollars. Why is China doing this? Simple. Strategically, in terms of energy security it wants to wean itself off of foreign-based fossil fuels, and pursuing green energy alternatives helps. Cleaner air and an improving environment also helps to keep its growing population happy. In addition, the pursuit of green technology is creating new markets in which China can excel as a global manufacturer (such as wind turbines and solar panels). So is China on the way to becoming a clean and green country? Here's the kicker. Energy demand is expected to double by 2030 as the country's rapid industrialization and modernization continues to accelerate. Clean energy will only be a partial answer to the energy demand. The country will continue to build coal-fired plants and acquire oil assets outside of China to keep pace. It also plans to expand its nuclear plants from 12 to about 400 by 2040. So China's energy future looks to be dirty and clean, traditional and innovative … and massive. The population of China is expected to be more than 1.45 billion in 2040. ~ Photo by liddybits, used a under a Creative Comm0ns license. |
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