(November 13, 2000) ‘Rising energy demands due to rapid industrialization, combined with soaring oil prices and worrying levels of pollution leave, many Asian countries but one choice: diversify their energy sources. The region is increasingly turning to renewable energy.’

Hong Kong: Rising energy demands due to rapid industrialization, combined with soaring oil prices and worrying levels of pollution leave, many Asian countries but one choice: diversify their energy sources.The region is increasingly turning to renewable energy. … Eric Martinot is an expert on renewable energy and visiting professor at Beijing’s Qinghua University. He says it is little known that China is the world’s leading investor in renewable energy. “China is the single-largest country in terms of annual investment and also in terms of power capacity, the renewable energy power generation capacity in China is larger than any other single country,” he said. ” Of course in China it’s mostly small hydropower but it’s still considered renewable. The other area in China that’s really been booming is solar hot water. The solar hot water industry in China is also the number one in the world – by far.” Martinot says other sources, such wind energy, biomass power and bio fuels are less developed in China, but the government in January passed a renewable energy law to promote them. China’s target is to have renewable sources produce 10 percent of its power by 2010 – not counting large hydropower projects such as the Three Gorges Dam. In comparison, by 2010, less three percent of China’s electricity will come from nuclear power.

Voice of America, November 13, 2000