Library & Data

Key Points

• China currently uses nuclear power plants to produce about 2% of its electricity, and 1% of its total energy.
• By 2020, China wants to generate at least 5% of electricity with nuclear power.
• China has 11 operating nuclear plants at three sites; the government plans to build 20 more plants by 2020.
• By 2030, China’s nuclear power program is expected to become the world’s second largest, behind the United States.
• Cooperation between the United States and China could be critical to efforts to develop a new generation of safe, reliable nuclear power plants that could help curb emissions of greenhouse gases.

Key Points

• Without coordinated action among countries there is great potential to ‘game the system’ and to not fully cover ‘carbon leakage’ to key export markets.
• There is little evidence unilateral trade measures alone will prompt comparable action in China, effectively safeguard U.S. manufacturers from job loss, or significantly prevent “carbon leakage.”
• However, there are several short- and long-term policy options for “leveling the playing field” and safeguarding the competitiveness of carbon-intensive manufacturers in the U.S. – while at the same time creating incentives for emissions reductions at home and abroad.

Key Points

• China is urbanizing at an unprecedented rate. By 2025, some 1 billion people will live in cities, and China is expected to have 221 cities with more than 1 million people (the United States currently has 9).
• To address the increased emissions urbanization promotes, China is pursuing a range of policies designed to improve building efficiency, mass transit, and energy use by common household appliances.
• Although cities can exacerbate environmental problems, they also have the potential to be the engine for improved efficiency and environmental protection.

Key Points

• The United States and China have engaged for over 30 years in a wide range of scientific, business and government collaborations aimed at increasing energy efficiency and curbing greenhouse gas emissions. Congressional action has and should continue to play a critical role in catalyzing and sustaining joint efforts.
• These collaborations have produced measurable real-world results, from more energy-efficient households and factories in both nations, to better methods for measuring China’s energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. They have also helped build trust between government, business and academic leaders from both nations.
• Further collaboration is essential if the world’s two largest consumers of fossil fuels are to successfully develop the common policies and technologies needed to curb climate change and sustain economic growth.