Potential for Wind-Generated Electricity in China

Blowing Away Coal China is the world's largest carbon dioxide producer and the world's second-largest producer of electrical power, 80% of which it generates by burning coal. An affordable, carbon-free source of electrical power generation would thus constitute an important way for China to reduce its CO 2 emissions and other environmental impacts of fossil-fuel burning. McElroy et al. (p. 1378 , see the cover) show that there is enough wind in China to generate electricity to supply the nation's entire projected demand for 2030 (about twice what is used now) at reasonable prices per kilowatt-hour.