Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPTER 6
Wind Power in China
6.1 INTRODUCTION
In order to properly understand the big picture, everyone should fear becoming mentally
clouded and obsessed with one small section of truth.
—Xun Zi
Analyzing electricity generation sector developments in China is akin to
observing a person emerging from a supermarket with a shopping cart
half-full with dietary products and half-full with chocolates and other
sweets and trying to determine whether or not the person is going on a
diet. On the one hand, in 2009 China surpassed the United States as the
world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases (GHG). Not only is China the
world's largest consumer (and producer) of coal; by 2030, coal consumption
in China is expected to increase 41% from 2010 levels.
1
On the other hand,
China boasts a burgeoning wind power market. In 2012, nearly one of every
three MW of installed wind power capacity was installed in China. As of
December 2012, China enjoys top global spot in aggregate installed wind
power capacity with 75,324 MW installed, 20% of global capacity.
2
China is
also the fastest growing nuclear power market in the world with 40,000 MW
of installed nuclear power capacity expected by 2020.
Although Deng Xiaoping passed away in 1997, his famous axiom “It doesn't
matter if a cat is black or white, so long as it catches mice” (In Mandarin
不管白猫黑猫, 会捉老鼠就是好猫
), which was invoked to describe the
underlying premise behind political and market reform embraced by the
Communist Party of China (CPC), still reigns true in China today. Accordingly,
one cannot help but wonder what type of mice China's laudable commitment
to wind power is intended to catch. Is this a strategic initiative that will lead to
