As western industrialized nations make the transition over to renewable energy sources, there is great concern about what is going on in China and India. These two nations have the largest populations in the world and both are undergoing rapid and dramatic industrialization.
Based on the strong economic growth in these countries, predictions are that they will more than double their combined energy demand by 2035, accounting for fully one-half of the world’s energy growth over the next 20 years. China already surpassed the United States as the world’s largest energy consumer in 2009, which should not be surprising considering it has 4 times our population.
There is some encouraging news with respect to green power in China and India. A recent report out of China noted that during the first six months of this year, that nation added 3.3 GW of solar capacity, bringing its total to 23 GW. China’s National Energy Administration plans to install 13 GW of solar power capacity this year. The country is fighting tremendous air pollution problems and switching over to renewable energy sources is a major part of its strategy.
India has a highly unreliable electrical grid that suffered the world’s biggest blackout in 2012. That country has begun construction of an $8 billion upgrade designed to enable its grid to handle a more than doubling of renewable power capacity by 2022.
As the world grapples with strategies to slow down the changing climate, it is vital that two countries that have the fastest growing appetites for energy are part of any solution.
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Web Links
China Installs Equivalent of Australia’s Total Solar Capacity — In Six Months
India to Sart Construction on German-backed $8 Billion Renewable Grid Project
Photo, posted March 19, 2008, courtesy of Land Rover Our Planet via Flickr.
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Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.