Around the World: China's Clean Energy Growth

China has undergone some of the most rapid energy transitions in recent years. Just a few short decades ago, China was one of the largest consumers of coal, a primitive nonrenewable fuel that released incredible amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Now, China is at the forefront of clean energy engineering. What happened in China that caused this transition?

China has been investing in clean energy for the past few years now, installing powerful wind turbines and solar panels to generate energy for their massive population. In fact, China is a solar superpower, building around 80% of all the world's solar panels.

The rapid growth of energy demand is being met through the use of solar panels in inventive ways. Vast solar farms stretch across the Gobi Desert in the western part of China, supplying energy for the heavily populated east, where demand for more energy is constantly rising.

A giant solar farm in the western desert

In the southern stretches of China, towering mountains cast a shadow doubt of hope that the region could be utilized for clean energy development. Defying all odds, China has constructed giant dams spanning great river valleys, driving energy generation through hydropower. Additionally, wind farms have been built to capture wind at high altitudes, further showcasing the south's clean energy resilience.

China's transition to clean energy is nothing short of incredible. Within the last one hundred years, China has been relying on coal as a primary power source. Now, China has displayed great progress for a greener future through its rapid development of clean energy projects, entirely transforming how the country, and the world, use energy.

Photo Source: https://e360.yale.edu/features/china-renewable-energy