Energy Alternatives

The Chinese Energy Crisis & Technology Issues

Soaring Chinese energy prices, mixed with reports of environmental degradation, have all led to the Chinese energy crisis. This has caused many outside nations to believe that China, as a growing nation, is doing all in its power to obtain a centralized form of global energy, with complete disregard for the environment. China has risen up as a major factor in global energy without having the proper governmental regulations in place. The lack of regulations is seen by many as an indication of China’s inability to govern their state coherently.

Energy is not just a technical issue; rather, it’s a diplomatic, political, and economic issue. In China, the long going energy crisis continues to worsen, as supply falls below acceptable levels and the countries’ people are many times unaware of what’s truly going on. Meng Zang, of Miami University, believes that a lot of China’s downfall comes from their lack of education on the energy crisis. “(In China,) we don’t have that much environmental education, but it’s just our human nature,” Zhang said. Children must be raised by environmentally conscious parents who lead by example.

When the Chinese energy crisis began, demand for energy in China was fairly low. From June 2006 to 2008, energy consumption in the nation remained tense. In 2008, however, there was a drop in energy production. Growth had been stunted in the energy sector, and the trend extended through the summer of 2009. This caused major issues in China:

1.) all of the major oil refineries were now filled, and,

2.) many of the country’s oil ceased production.

According to Zhang Guobao, the nation seized the opportunity to adjust the energy structure and do away with their outdated production capacity. By the end of 2009, China had lost power generators to the tune of 60 Million kilowatts. With the onslaught of reorganizations in the coal industry, China closed more than 1,000 coal mines, even with the hastened development of natural gas.

In China, as in the rest of the world, fossil fuels will take precedent in energy production for the foreseeable future. What type of fossil fuel makes more sense for china, however? Are we looking at a coal future for the country, or perhaps a nation powered by oil and natural gas? One theory places China’s short and medium term dependence on coal for heat and electric power. This idea of heavy coal use, however, would likely cause major environmental costs and issues. Another theory is that China will rely on liquid fuels such as oil and gas. Most countries that have made their way up the economic latter started with coal, later moving to more efficient forms of fossil fuels (this seems to be the organic path that developing nations take). This would definitely be better for the environment, and would emit about 60% less carbon dioxide per unit of electrical output – but the costs would likely rise. For now, the jury is still out on China’s path to a better future in energy.

In my estimation, the best bet for China would be to take on this energy crisis with what they know best – coal. This would reduce pressure on world oil markets (from China), and would be quite feasible given the country’s extensive coal resources. Though emissions would be worsened, the country would ultimately shift to oil in the long term, or even nuclear energy as they pulled themselves out of this energy rut. China already has ambitious plans for nuclear power, and if they can work with coal for the time being, it is estimated that there will be more nuclear power plants built in China by 2030 than all other countries combined. This strategy, to me, seems to make the most sense.

Paul Guenther is a Website & SEO Analyst. Learn more about the world energy crisis and check out a directory of free white papers.