Wind Power in China: A cautionary tale

China experienced unprecedented wind power growth, with capacity increasing from 1.26 GW in 2005 to 91.4 GW by the end of 2013. However, this rapid deployment led to significant issues with delayed grid connections and curtailment, particularly in resource-rich northern provinces. The report identifies a mismatch between the location of wind resources and power demand, alongside a lack of coordinated planning between generation capacity and transmission infrastructure. Governance failures, such as setting targets based on installed capacity rather than actual generation and a system of guaranteed run hours for coal plants, further exacerbated these problems. The Chinese government has responded with technical upgrades like ultra-high voltage (UHV) transmission lines, revised feed-in tariffs, and a shift toward distributed wind power to mitigate these systemic inefficiencies.

• China's wind power capacity grew rapidly from 1.26 gigawatts (GW) in 2005 to 91.4 GW at the end of 2013, but this growth was hampered by delayed grid connections and the curtailment of generated power.
• Delayed grid connections were caused by the pace of wind farm construction outstripping the speed of transmission infrastructure development, compounded by a lack of aligned construction plans and insufficient state-level coordination.
• Curtailment is primarily driven by a mismatch between power supply in resource-rich northern regions and demand in the eastern seaboard, limited by inadequate transmission capacity and inflexible inter-regional trading contracts.
• The Chinese government's practice of setting targets based on installed capacity rather than energy production encouraged the deployment of turbines without ensuring they were connected or that their power was dispatched.
• The existing power system prioritizes coal-fired generation due to a system of guaranteed run hours, which removes the incentive for thermal plants to operate flexibly and displaces low-cost wind power.
• Local content requirements (LCRs) successfully grew the domestic turbine industry—with domestic market share rising from 25% in 2004 to 87% in 2009—but may have negatively impacted turbine quality by discouraging imports from experienced overseas producers.
• To address curtailment, China invested in ultra-high voltage (UHV) transmission lines to move power from the north and west to the south and east, with a planned investment of CNY 500 billion.
• The government has shifted its strategy to reduce curtailment by limiting new project approvals in regions with curtailment rates over 20% and promoting distributed wind power projects.
• The feed-in tariff (FIT) system, while successful in deploying wind energy, encouraged excessive development in northern resource-rich areas beyond the grid's capacity to accommodate them.

APA

Wang, H., Kitson, L., Bridle, R., Gass, P., & Attwood, C. (2016). Wind Power in China: A cautionary tale. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/wind-power-in-china-cautionary-tale.pdf

Chicago

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

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Wang |first1=Hanjie |last2=Kitson |first2=Lucy |last3=Bridle |first3=Richard |last4=Gass |first4=Philip |last5=Attwood |first5=Clement |title=Wind Power in China: A cautionary tale |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=September 2016 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/wind-power-in-china-cautionary-tale.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wang2016wind, author = {Wang, Hanjie and Kitson, Lucy and Bridle, Richard and Gass, Philip and Attwood, Clement}, title = {{Wind Power in China: A cautionary tale}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2016}, month = sep, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/wind-power-in-china-cautionary-tale.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }