Special Issue Managing China Energy Sector

Since China has now become the world’s largest energy consumer, its energy sector has understandably huge implications for the global economy. This book examines the transformation of China’s conventional and renewable energy sectors, with special attention to state-business relations. Two studies examine the development of China’s energy profile, especially China’s renewable energy. Two others explore governmental relations with state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and their reform. Despite drastic restructuring in the late 1990s, SOEs continue their oligopolistic control of the oil and gas sectors and even overshadow the stock market. Three studies investigate the factors that help propel the expansion of China’s conventional energy firms, as well as those producing renewable energy (i.e. solar PV industry). A study of China’s solar PV industry suggests that China’s governmental support for it has evolved from subsidising production (a "mercantile" stage aimed at expanding the industry’s global production and export share) to subsidising the demand side (aiming at expanding domestic demand and absorbing redundant manufacture capacity). Another review of this industry finds that firms tend to pay heavy attention to extra-firm institutional network relationships both inside and outside China, and that buyer-supplier networks are influenced by extra-local managerial education. The final chapter compares China’s provinces and their embedded carbon-footprints per capita in urban areas from a consumption perspective, using a self-organizing feature map (SOFM) model. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Asia Pacific Business Review.

Since China has now become the world’s largest energy consumer, its energy sector has understandably huge implications for the global economy. This book examines the transformation of China’s conventional and renewable energy sectors, with special attention to state-business relations. Two studies examine the development of China’s energy profile, especially China’s renewable energy. Two others explore governmental relations with state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and their reform. Despite drastic restructuring in the late 1990s, SOEs continue their oligopolistic control of the oil and gas sectors and even overshadow the stock market. Three studies investigate the factors that help propel the expansion of China’s conventional energy firms, as well as those producing renewable energy (i.e. solar PV industry). A study of China’s solar PV industry suggests that China’s governmental support for it has evolved from subsidising production (a "mercantile" stage aimed at expanding the industry’s global production and export share) to subsidising the demand side (aiming at expanding domestic demand and absorbing redundant manufacture capacity). Another review of this industry finds that firms tend to pay heavy attention to extra-firm institutional network relationships both inside and outside China, and that buyer-supplier networks are influenced by extra-local managerial education. The final chapter compares China’s provinces and their embedded carbon-footprints per capita in urban areas from a consumption perspective, using a self-organizing feature map (SOFM) model. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Asia Pacific Business Review.

China’s rapid economic expansion raises questions internally and externally about how it will acquire the energy it needs to sustain growth. Currently it is the largest producer and consumer of coal; how much will it continue to rely on its abundant natural resource in the face of increasing environmental concerns? Will it embrace new clean coal technologies developed by others or invest in its own? Currently it imports 50% of the oil it consumes; will it invest in technologies that scrub the ocean floor for petroleum deposits? Will it develop new distribution technologies to bring its natural gas reserves closer to population centers? What role will conservation play? And how will China relate to the rest of the international community as it addresses these critical issues. Research on Energy Issues In China presents one prominent insider’s view of China’s key energy issues and his strategy for addressing them. A collection of papers authored by Jiang Zemin, former president of the People’s Republic of China, it appears here in English for the first time. Jiang’s message is an exhortation to the Chinese to invest in science and technology, and research and development, to ensure the steady supply of energy so crucial for sustaining and driving development. He outlines this energy strategy for China: "we need to steadfastly conserve energy, use it efficiently, diversify development, keep the environment clean, be technology driven and cooperate internationally in order to establish a system of energy production, distribution and consumption that is highly efficient, uses advanced technology, produces few pollutant, has minimal impact on the ecosystem, and provides a steady and secure energy supply." Within ten to twenty years, China may well be the world’s largest energy consumption and supply system. This volume offers policy makers, energy industry analysts, researchers, and investors an inside view of how it plans to get there. Compares China’s current energy situation with the developed world Details specific challenges and opportunities in China with respect to coal, oil, nuclear, natural gas, solar, biomass, hydrogen, geothermal, wind, and ocean Presents an eight point energy development policy Provides a guide to China’s future investment in research and development

This open access book is an encyclopaedic analysis of the current and future energy system of the world’s most populous country and second biggest economy. What happens in China impacts the planet. In the past 40 years China has achieved one of the most remarkable economic growth rates in history. Its GDP has risen by a factor of 65, enabling 850,000 people to rise out of poverty. Growth on this scale comes with consequences. China is the world’s biggest consumer of primary energy and the world’s biggest emitter of CO2 emissions. Creating a prosperous and harmonious society that delivers economic growth and a high quality of life for all will require radical change in the energy sector, and a rewiring of the economy more widely. In China’s Energy Revolution in the Context of the Global Energy Transition, a team of researchers from the Development Research Center of the State Council of China and Shell International examine how China can revolutionise its supply and use of energy. They examine the entire energy system: coal, oil, gas, nuclear, renewables and new energies in production, conversion, distribution and consumption. They compare China with case studies and lessons learned in other countries. They ask which technology, policy and market mechanisms are required to support the change and they explore how international cooperation can smooth the way to an energy revolution in China and across the world. And, they create and compare scenarios on possible pathways to a future energy system that is low-carbon, affordable, secure and reliable.

There has been ever increasing interest in understanding the various aspects of available resources and production, in terms of need and supply, conservation and environmental impacts and so on. From the current energy scenario, it is very clear that there are serious challenges related in achieving energy sustainability and security worldwide. The aim of this book is to present an overview of progress made towards energy sustainability addressing concerns regarding carbon emission and clean energy resources. Keeping this in mind, the book has chapters on all major energy sources which are being utilized at present, along with those having potential prospects for future.