China is going green. Zhang Xiaoqiang (vice-chairman of China's national development and reform commission) said that Beijing easily make the wind energy goal of 30 gigawatts by 2020, and that China was considering setting a new goal of 100 gigawatts in the same time period. China is also planning a major increase in their utilization of solar power.

These plans somehow butt serious heads with the massive dam construction plans on the Mekong River and pesky environmental destruction throughout the country- perhaps there will be no water left in a few years to aid in the “greenwashing.”

Or, maybe this is serious.

A story in the UK Guardian reports that China believes it can match Europe’s clean energy production over the next decade, meaning that it would create 1/5 of its energy from renewable sources.
Watch out, Europe, the gauntlet is set.

"We are now formulating a plan for development of renewable energy. We can be sure we will exceed the 15% target. We will at least reach 18%. Personally I think we could reach the target of having renewables provide 20% of total energy consumption,” said Zhang at a London interview.
"Similarly, by 2020 the total installed capacity for solar power will be at least three times that of the original target [3GW]."

I may be giving China a hard time so far, but this kind of competition to be the “greenest” may be just the kind of (renewable) jump start that clean energy needs. You can see how quickly the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. built up nuclear weapons in the last century when they were racing to be THE nuclear power- if global leaders were engaged in the same kind of race to be the leader in Global renewable energy…

The U.S. goal for solar heating is 200m square meters by 2020. China already has 130m square meters and is planning further investment. David Sandalow, U.S. assistant secretary of energy, said that if China continues as it currently operates, they will cause a 2.7C rise in global temperatures

"China can and will need to do much more if the world is going to have any hope of containing climate change,” said Sandalow, negotiating in Beijing in one of many meetings leading up to the Copenhagen summit later this year. “No effective deal will be possible without the US and China, which together account for almost half of the planet's carbon emissions."

We did get to space. We did figure out nuclear bombs. We even made telephones work without wires. Why can’t China, Europe, the U.S. and anyone else who wants to play duke it out over who will be the greenest the firstest? I kind of love it.

There is reality, though.

China currently creates only a fraction of its ambitious goal from solar power- 120 megawatts. That means a 75x expansion over the next decade. But before you scoff, the European goal is the same. Experts have already expressed doubt over Britain’s ability to make good on its goal of creating 20% of its energy from solar.

BUT- China is beginning with a plan to install 100 million energy-efficient lightbulbs- this year. That would be fantastic, in anybody’s book!

The masterplan in China is to steer large portions of China’s $590Billion (yep) economic stimulus package toward low-carbon investment. Right now, $30Billion is going toward environmental projects and greenhouse gas emissions reduction.

HSBC Global Research estimated that the total investment, taking into account green investments, could be over 1/3 of the stimulus package. (!)

"Due to the impact of global financial crisis, people are all talking about green and sustainable development. Enterprises and government at all levels are showing more enthusiasm for the development of solar for power generation, and the Chinese government is now considering rolling out more stimulus policies for the development of solar power,” Zhang added.

China seems to be responding. The U.S. seems to be pointing fingers. And Europe seems to be leading the way.

Looking forward to Copenhagen.