Comments on: China Reaches 50 GW Of Connected Grid Wind Capacity; Expected To Top 140 GW By 2015

By: Zachary Shahan

Zachary Shahan — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 13:42:00 +0000

I think a cap on coal comes into effect in 2015, but may be remembering that wrong. As far as shutting off existing ones… ?

By: Bob_Wallace

Bob_Wallace — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 18:25:00 +0000

China has already closed hundreds of inefficient coal plants and they’ve put a cap on the amount of coal that can be burned each year starting in 2015.

They will have to build up their renewable electricity supply before they can shut too many more coal plants. They’ve massively ramped up their solar goals from 5 GW to 35 GW by 2015. Wind is being installed at a high rate and that rate is likely to accelerate.

I think the Chinese government is more than aware of their pollution and GHG emission problems. And I see them working harder to turn things around than, say, Republicans in our government.

By: Lee

Lee — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:59:00 +0000

I believe all change takes time. And this step is a step in the right direction. China cannot expect to shut off all coal supplies as industry and the entire country will fall into chaos, with massive unrest and deaths from the ensuing chaos.

Afterall, it took Britain 100 years from industrialisation to finally clear to smoggy and coal filled air of Birmingham and London. China may take 40 years, especially with a government also keen to decrease pollution.

By: Marshall Harris

Marshall Harris — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:08:00 +0000

That’s wonderful news. But how long until they start shutting down those god-awful coal plants? They are poisoning their population with dirty air, not to mention the acceleration of climate change due to the emissions.