Wind Power in China: A cautionary tale

China saw wind capacity grow from 1.26 GW in 2005 to 91.4 GW by 2013, but faces ongoing issues with grid connection delays and power curtailment due to transmission lagging behind capacity and poor governance coordination. Additionally, a separate IISD study warns that BRIICS nations could face a $278 billion revenue gap by 2030 as they transition away from fossil fuels.

• China experienced rapid wind power capacity growth over a decade, increasing from 1.26 gigawatts (GW) in 2005 to 91.4 GW by the end of 2013.
• Despite growth, China faces persistent challenges including the curtailment of generated power and delays in connecting wind power to the grid. These issues are driven by technical factors, where wind resource expansion has exceeded transmission construction, and governance failures, including misaligned construction plans for farms and grids and insufficient state-level coordination.
• The Chinese government has recognized the need to increase grid capacity and coordinate the development of both grid and capacity, as noted in the 2012 White Paper on China’s energy policy and the 12th Five-Year Plan (FYP).
• A separate IISD study indicates that six emerging economies—Brazil, Russia, India, Indonesia, China, and South Africa (BRIICS)—face a potential $278 billion revenue gap by 2030 due to their high dependence on fossil fuel revenues during the global transition to renewable energy.

APA

Attwood,, L. K. B. G. W. K. (2016). Wind Power in China: A cautionary tale. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/wind-power-china-cautionary-tale

Chicago

Attwood,, Lucy Kitson,Richard Bridle,Philip Gass,Hanjie Wang,Lucy Kitson,Clement. Wind Power in China: A cautionary tale. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2016. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/wind-power-china-cautionary-tale.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Attwood, |first1=Lucy Kitson,Richard Bridle,Philip Gass,Hanjie Wang,Lucy Kitson,Clement |title=Wind Power in China: A cautionary tale |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2 September 2016 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/wind-power-china-cautionary-tale |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{attwood2016wind, author = {Attwood,, Lucy Kitson,Richard Bridle,Philip Gass,Hanjie Wang,Lucy Kitson,Clement}, title = {{Wind Power in China: A cautionary tale}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2016}, month = sep, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/wind-power-china-cautionary-tale}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }