China's potential wind power resources, measured at 50 meters above ground level, exceed 2.38 billion kilowatts (kW), according to a government survey released on Jan. 13.
The survey was conducted by the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) throughout the country since July 2007.
According to the survey, some wind-rich areas, particularly in the northern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, are particularly suitable for building large wind power farms with a total installed capacity in excess of 10 million kW.
China commenced wind power development in the 1980s, and the industry has experienced accelerated growth since 2003, due to environmental sustainability issues and a concern regarding an over-reliance on oil imports.
In 2004, China's total installed wind power capacity stood at only 0.764 million kW, but had surged to 12 million kW by 2008.
China's total installed wind power capacity is expected to stand at roughly 20 million kW by the end of 2009, and this figure is expected to reach 100 million by 2020, according to Chinese energy authorities.
