China to Meet Renewable Energy Goals Years Earlier
The U.S. Wall Street Journal website published an article on February 11 titled "China's Carbon Emissions Reduction Will Reach Target Years Earlier Than Expected".
According to the article, China's large-scale use of renewable energy is accelerating, and its investment in the sector is growing so much that international climate watchdogs are now predicting that China's greenhouse gas emissions will peak years earlier than expected.
Last year alone, China added 217 gigawatts of installed solar power capacity, according to the latest figures released by the government, with cumulative installed capacity up 55 percent year-on-year. That's the equivalent of installing more than 500 million solar panels, far more than the total installed solar capacity in the United States. Solar panels can be seen everywhere from the deserts of Inner Mongolia to the mountains of southwestern China to rooftops across the country, including the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Last year, China added 76 gigawatts of installed wind energy capacity, more than the rest of the world combined. That's the equivalent of more than 20,000 new wind turbines across the country, including large wind turbines located on the East China Sea.
For the first time, analysts say, the new low-carbon power additions, including hydropower and nuclear power, will be enough to meet China's electricity demand growth for an entire year. According to the article, China will meet its target six years earlier than originally planned. The China Electricity Council predicted last month that by the end of this year, China will have more than 1,300 gigawatts of installed wind and solar power capacity.