China embarked on wind power frenzy, says IEA

[nitpicker]

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-37409069

China embarked on wind power frenzy, says IEA

By Roger Harrabin
BBC environment analyst

20 September 2016

From the section Science & Environment


China has been building two wind turbines every hour, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has told BBC News. This is the world's biggest programme of turbine installation, double that of its nearest rival, the US.

The nation’s entire annual increase in energy demand has been fulfilled from the wind. But the IEA warns China has built so much coal-fired generating capacity that it is turning off wind turbines for 15% of the time. The problem is that coal-fired power stations are given priority access to the grid.

An IEA spokesman told BBC News: “The rather rosy statement on wind energy hides the issue that 2015 and the first half of 2016 also saw record new installations of coal. “China has now a clear over-supply. In the province of Gansu, 39% of wind energy had to be curtailed (turned off because there is not enough capacity on the grid). (snip) China’s position is clearly unsustainable. It will need strong policy decisions, including the construction of many more grid lines and a phase-out policy for older, more inefficient coal power plants.”
(snip)

[Sherman A1]

1. We need to be building both solar and wind

as fast as we can go and perhaps a little faster than that. Energy independence would allow us to refocus our resources and future beyond just the impacts of climate change, it is also a significant social and national security issue.

[NickB79]

2. First ghost cities, now ghost wind farms

China's construction boom seems to have been geared as much or more towards simply keeping the population employed as it has in actually combating climate change at this point.

https://www.wired.com/2016/02/kai-caemmerer-unborn-cities/