Controlling the Environmental Consequences of Power Development in the People’s Republic of China

This Note proposes a strategy to mitigate the environmental degradation resulting from China’s power development. Part I introduces China’s power industry – its excessive dependence on coal, its antiquated and inefficient infrastructure, its pollutive effects, and its projected expansion. Part II appraises the ways in which China’s environmental laws, macroeconomic controls, and foreign investment restrictions influence the growth of power development and its corresponding effect on the environment. Part III assesses the role that governments, development banks, and international organizations can play in curbing the environmental impact of Chinese power projects. Considering the problems associated with current Chinese and international pollution-control efforts established in Parts II and III, Part IV proposes a comprehensive strategy to control the environmental excesses caused by power development.