China consumes 9.6 percent of the world s energy, but this share will rise to 16.1 percent by 2020. Excluding Japan, China is responsible for nearly two-thirds of the energy used in East Asia. China is the second largest emitter of carbon dioxide after the United States, and is predicted to exceed U.S. emissions by 2020 because nearly three-quarters of its energy comes from coal.
Renewable energy is viewed as one of the key elements to reduce China s carbon emissions.
While coal is the major fuel for electrical generation, renewables are in second place with 17 percent of power production in 1996. Shangdu wind farm in Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China. China has strong wind resources in its northern and western regions, as well as along its coast and offshore islands which are near many of the major population centres. Wind speeds are suitable for both rural village electrification and for large scale, grid-connected electrical generation. High wind regimes also occur in Inner Mongolia and the northern Gansu Province, both of which have numerous villages with no access to electricity.