China has been polluting itself for a long time to make the developed world cleaner. The PRC was the biggest solar energy product exporter this year, but few resources are being used to build solar energy generators domestically — some argue that's because electricity, especially coal-based power, is too cheap in China.
It is true that China is trying to become cleaner and greener, but we're still far from hitting the mark. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) only plans to install a total solar power capacity of 300MW by 2010, while the total production of Chinese solar producers will reach 3GW this year! A series of wind power plants have been built in northern China, most of which were supplied and built by state-owned firms, but solar power didn't get the same breaks. Instead of going solar, some government officials prefer more controversial expansions of nuclear and hydroelectric power.
Government-backed scientists can't seem to get their message straight. An energy researcher from the China Social Science Academy said in a conference in November not only that “nuclear energy is the top choice for China,” but that solar and biomass had no domestic future. One month later, a scientist from the China Renewable Energy Society called for more government subsidies for solar energy. A few days after that, an NDRC official said China needed to reassess its solar energy policy.
China is big enough to adopt all kinds of renewable energy, and solar can be a big part of the plan if the government gets its priorities straight. Even 1% of the RMB 4 trillion stimulus package would be a major boost to the solar industry.
This country needs its own clean energy, and we need it soon.
