Wind Power Development in China: An Assessment of Provincial Policies

Wind energy has become a fast growing industry in China in the last decade. The development of the wind energy industry presents interesting policy questions. In the context of China, in additional to national energy policies, provincial policies were designed and implemented to stimulate the growth of wind power. This paper examines factors, especially provincial wind energy policies, in driving the growth of wind power capacity in the Chinese provinces. Statistical analysis with a longitudinal data set for wind power capacity in Chinese provinces from 2001 to 2012 reveals that the adoption of wind energy policies and a general energy plan at the provincial level are having positive effects on the growth of wind capacity in Chinese provinces.