Clean Energy in China

March 15, Changxing County, Zhejiang Province: Eleven wind turbines of the Huadian Hongshan Wind Power Plant have officially been put into operation and hooked up to the local power grid. As the largest low-speed wind power plant in northern Zhejiang Province, the power plant eliminates 40 kilotons of standard coal burning and cuts emissions of smoke, carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide by 7,000 tons, 154 kilotons and 6,000 tons respectively every year. In fact, China’s coal consumption has dropped for three consecutive years. In 2016, coal accounted for 62 percent of total energy consumption, the lowest level since 1990, a sign of progress for the broader effort to develop the non-fossil fuel sector.

As pledged in the Paris Agreement of the United Nations climate talks, China will reduce its emissions per unit of GDP by 60 to 65 percent from 2005 levels and increase its percentage of non-fossil fuel energy consumption to approximately 20 percent.