Global Energy Monitor just published a report indicating China has 180 gigawatts [GW] of utility-scale solar power under construction, plus 159 GW of wind power. The combination represents 339 GW in process, where a GW is the nameplate capacity of a typical nuclear plant, with the caveat that nukes usually operate around the clock. The researchers restricted themselves to solar farms of 20 MW or more, feeding directly into the grid. "That means that the total volume of solar power in China could be much higher, as small scale solar farms account for about 40% of China’s solar capacity." The US is getting increasingly concerned about Chinese overcapacity—with resultant overseas dumping, particularly in the solar industry. "China is on track to reach 1,200 GW of installed wind and solar capacity by the end of 2024, six years ahead of the government’s target." But it will need to move even faster if it wants to 'meet its target of reducing the carbon intensity of the economy by 18%, which is an important factor in reducing emissions.' [Carbon intensity refers to number of grams of CO2 released in producing a kWh of electricity]. "Analysts say that better storage and grid flexibility is necessary to efficiently use the increasing volume of clean energy being generated on China’s wind and solar farms." High-voltage transmission is still limiting—as in the US—with curtailment [wasting generation without a way to get electricity to demand centers] of as much as 7% at times. Should be sobering for all of us that China is racing ahead of the rest of the world in renewables, but still not fast enough to accomplish the energy transition in time to combat the dragon of climate change.
