Energy development in China: National policies and regional strategies

Abstract

China's energy resources are unevenly distributed across a country that is vast in size, while demand for energy is and will continue to be growing rapidly. This article provides a comprehensive assessment of energy development in China in recent years — supported by the most recent energy statistics — and a forecast for the future. It also examines the evolution of national policies and regional strategies for energy development of oil, coal, natural gas and electricity in China. National energy policies in China are formulated for each specific form of energy — oil, coal, natural gas, hydropower and nuclear power — whereas regional strategies are determined by the location of energy resources. Even though recent and projected trends in the development of oil, coal, natural gas and electricity tend to be unique to China, the conclusions drawn from the analysis are useful for other developing countries that are large, resource-rich and experiencing rapid economic growth. Included in this article is also a general examination of China's energy pricing issues. The article concludes with policy recommendations for China's future energy development.