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China tops in wind power capacity, but with inadequate grid

To translate the country’s wind power installations into massive utilization, Greenpeace said the government must introduce effective incentive policies and completely overhaul the national grid.

“This shortfall in generation tells us that China still has a long way to go to reach its full potential in wind and other renewable energy,” said Yang Ailun of Greenpeace East Asia in a news release.

China first in wind power capacity – UPI.com, BEIJING, Jan. 13 – China has surpassed the United States as the country with the largest wind power installation in the world, China’s state-run news agency Xinhua reports. China installed 16 gigawatts of wind power capacity in 2010, a 62 percent increase from the previous year, said the Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association, Xinhua reports.That brings the country’s total installed capacity to 41.8 gigawatts, giving China — the world’s top emitter of greenhouse gases — the potential to replace 31.3 million tons of coal, slashing emissions of more than 90 million tons of carbon dioxide, Xinhua reports……

To translate the country’s wind power installations into massive utilization, Greenpeace said the government must introduce effective incentive policies and completely overhaul the national grid.

“This shortfall in generation tells us that China still has a long way to go to reach its full potential in wind and other renewable energy,” said Yang Ailun of Greenpeace East Asia in a news release.

“Despite a renewable energy policy requiring grid companies to purchase all available electricity generated by wind farms, wind power access to the grid is impeded by an unstable, outdated grid infrastructure,” he said.

Other problems, Yang said, include a lack of incentives and penalties for grid companies and slow progress in additional wind energy technologies.

China first in wind power capacity – UPI.com

January 14, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | China, renewable