CHINA'S ENERGY OUTLOOK 2004

The book's subject is one of increasing importance to China and indeed to the rest of the world. As China's amazing economic expansion continues unabated, a serious question arises. Where will the energy come from, to power this expansion?A significant portion of the book discusses rural development. Most Chinese still live on farms and small villages. Many still lack electricity. Even though the rural population is expected to decrease, due to migration to cities, some 700 million are still expected to be rural in 2020.The book looks at various possible sources of energy. Especially renewable sources for the countryside. Social fairness is a big theme here, as rural areas have seriously lagged the cities in jobs and income. Wind energy looks promising in many areas. In part by reducing the need to extend the electric grid by large distances.Numerous other sources include nuclear, clean coal exploitation and hydroelectricity. But for the transport sector, there is no serious alternative to oil. This has implications for global oil prices. As China increasingly competes in that marketplace as a major consumer.The book is a serious and sober analysis of trends that may well happen.