Resumen de Review and assessment of Chinese energy policy since the reform and opening up
Boan Wang, Jianhua Li, Haiyan Wu
Since carrying out reforms and launching its “opening up” policy in the late 1970s, the Chinese government has issued a series of energy policies that has increased China’s total energy supply, optimized the energy structure, and improved energy efficiency. China’s total energy supply increased from 627.7 million tons of standard coal equivalent to 3.2 billion tons from 1978 to 2011, an average annual growth rate of 5 percent. The structure of China’s energy supply is improving gradually, with natural gas accounting for 4.3 percent of the total energy production in 2011 compared to 2.9 percent in 1978. The proportion of hydroelectric, nuclear, and wind power increased from 3.1 percent in 1978 to 8.8 percent in 2011. China’s energy efficiency continues to improve, with the amount of standard coal equivalent required to produce RMB 10,000 of gross domestic product decreasing from 15.68 tons in 1978 to 0.74 in 2011. The development of China’s energy structure not only has guaranteed national economic and social development but has also made a great contribution to world energy security.
