RE: CHINA energy demand soars: Coal and Renewable30 Mar 2021 23:50
In yesterday’s release of Ember’s Global Electricity Review, the fact that more than half of the world’s coal-powered electricity in 2020 was produced in China stood out. But this is only half the story. Dramatically rising energy demand in the country has also seen renewable electricity production soar. Between the years 2000 and 2020, the amount of electricity generated by burning coal increased more than four-fold in China, hitting around 4,600 terrawatt hours in the past year. At the same time, generation from renewable sources increased ten-fold, but only reached around 2,200 terrawatt hours, highlighting China’s continued dependence on coal despite gains in renewables.