Outlook of Renewable Energy (Wind Energy) in China

Abstract

China's rapidly growing economy, population, and energy consumption are all threatening its future environmental sustainability. China faces many ecological challenges, and its reliance on coal is at the heart of most of the country's ecological troubles. Most of China's air pollution emissions come from the industrial and electricity sectors, and the human health costs of China's air pollution are very high. China is the largest global polluter, with more than 25 per cent of total global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, green development could help mitigate climate change and enhance global welfare. Over the past decades, the demand for energy sources has increased by 150% in China, which has made China among the most energy-consuming countries. Most of China's energy consumption comes from coal energy, which accounts for about 78% of all energy sources in China in 2011. China is one of the world's largest wind energy sources, according to data released by the World Wind Energy Association (WWEA), with about 34% of the world's wind energy sources. According to the road map implemented by the Chinese government by exploiting and generating wind energy sources and benefiting from the rapid economic development that China witnessed late, according to this plan by 2020, China is expected to produce about 250 gigawatts (GW). By 2030, production may reach 400 GW of electrical energy generated from wind energy, and by 2050, production may reach 1,000 GW.