I. Introduction
As a developing country with 1.3 billion citizens, China is trying to develop its economy and improve people’s living standard at the same time. It is quite understandable that the rapid development of the economy always accompanies heavy pressure on the environment and resources in a developing country. With the environmental degradation, the power industry bears the major share of the blame. The Chinese Government is now dedicating itself to addressing the environmental issues with great efforts towards energy efficiency and low-carbon economy development. Environmental protection and economic development have become a dilemma for the Government and industry to face.
For more than 30 years, China has witnessed a rapid development in social economy with double-digit growth rates in each year. In the year 2008, China's economy expanded 9 percent and its gross domestic product amounted to 30.07 trillion yuan (about $4.43 trillion dollars). With the momentum for rapid growth, nationwide total electricity output hit 3433TWh and power consumption recorded 3427 TWh in 2008. The power industry is leading the trend in the economic rapid growth.
In order to keep pace with its development, China has also paid a high price in its resources and environment despite achieving miraculous economic progress. Though China no longer suffers starvation or attacks, but it still suffers abuse for its potential title of the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases. International Energy Agency forecasts predict that China will experience the largest growth in carbon dioxide emissions between now and the year 2030 .
The power industry is one of the largest fossil-fuel consumers and pollutant emitters when gearing up the social economy. In China, the power supply is still lagging far behind the demand, and there are more power plants and supply equipment under progress. To maintain a sustainable development, the power industry needs restructuring in energy mix and technical innovation in pollutant control. Both the government and industry welcome new technologies, ideas and insights dealing with emission reduction and efficiency.
China gives top priority to meeting the challenge of climate change and development of a green economy. Thanks to the hard work on the part of the officials and workers across the power sector in recent years, China has recorded dramatic achievements in improving efficiency. Last year, per unit GDP energy consumption dropped 1.33%. The Chinese government in its 11th five-year plan has set targets to annually reduce the per unit GDP energy consumption by 4 percent and in total by 20 percent in five years.
China has become a booming economic country with its rapid growth rate in GDP. Although it is not the greatest country in terms of per capita greenhouse gas emission, the government is very active and dedicated to controlling pollutant emissions and developing a green economy. The power industry is on the front lines to take action and meet targets. The paper presents an introduction to the power industry in China, and what the Chinese government and its industry have done and shall do in order to save energy, reduce pollution, and develop a low carbon economy as well as carry on its high-paced growth.
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