Written by Ralph Winnie, Contributing Editor | 22 February 2012

Over the past twenty years, China has experienced dramatic economic growth, transforming itself from a basically agrarian society into the world’s second largest economy behind only the United States. Since the initiation of economic and political reforms in 1978, China has produced an average annual growth rate of 10 percent. From 1978 to 2008, China increased its GDP 83 times (NBS, 2009) and lifted over two hundred million of its people out of poverty. This has continued to generate increased energy supply. Within China’s energy sector, production was stimulated by the clarification of mineral exploration rights, the development of transportation and roadway infrastructure projects, diversification of management structures and the liberalization of environmental and safety regulations.

As the sale of automobiles in China is expected to surpass those in the United States within the next five years, there is growing concern in China about energy security, power capacity shortages, as well as air pollution. The Chinese Central Government has begun to focus on alternative technologies, including clean coal technology and renewable sources of energy. China is expected to invest heavily in support of renewable energy development targets for 2020. Achieving these targets will depend on developing well-trained and highly skilled personnel, cost reductions in technology and effective distribution of power generation (electric grids) through electric utilities.

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