China's Actions on Clean Power

China has become a global leader in renewable energy investment and wind capacity, though it remains heavily dependent on coal for electricity and heat. While the 12th Five Year Plan sets targets for increasing non-fossil fuel use and reducing carbon emissions intensity, the country faces challenges such as grid connectivity for wind power and water shortages in arid provinces due to coal base construction. The government is also piloting emissions trading schemes in several cities and provinces as a precursor to a national system by 2015.

• China's electricity capacity reached 1,073 GW in 2011, making it the world's largest, and it led global renewable energy technology investments in 2011 with $52 billion.
• Coal is the primary source of electricity, representing approximately 65 percent of installed capacity in 2011, and China is the world's top producer and consumer of coal.
• China possesses the world's largest wind power installed capacity, exceeding 62 GW in 2011, but approximately 28 percent (over 17 GW) remained unconnected to the grid at the end of that year.
• The Chinese solar PV industry is a dominant global supplier, providing approximately 60 percent (21 GW) of the global market in 2011, though it faced challenges in 2012 due to reduced demand in Europe and US tariffs.
• The 12th Five Year Plan aims to increase non-fossil fuel use to 11.4 percent of electricity demand and reduce carbon emissions intensity per unit of GDP by 17 percent from 2010 levels.
• Proposed coal power bases under the 2011-2015 Five Year Plan are expected to require at least 10 billion cubic meters of water annually by 2015, threatening water supplies in arid provinces like Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Ningxia.
• China is piloting emissions trading schemes in five cities (Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Tianjin, and Chongqing) and two provinces (Guangdong and Hubei) starting in 2013, with the goal of a national scheme by 2015.

APA

Lutenegger, B. (2012). China's Actions on Clean Power. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/issue-brief-chinas-actions-on-clean-power

Chicago

Lutenegger, Brian. China's Actions on Clean Power. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2012. https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/issue-brief-chinas-actions-on-clean-power.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lutenegger |first1=Brian |title=China's Actions on Clean Power |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=15 October 2012 |url=https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/issue-brief-chinas-actions-on-clean-power |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lutenegger2012chinas, author = {Lutenegger, Brian}, title = {{China's Actions on Clean Power}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2012}, month = oct, url = {https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/issue-brief-chinas-actions-on-clean-power}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }