Has Yunnan been sucking the energy out of me?
Trip Start
Jan 30, 2007
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Trip End
Dec 31, 2011
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Kunming, Yunnan, China
Thursday, December 11, 2008
There's been lots going on in my life - some stresses - with problems from people, dogs, early plane departures, etc.
But now I read that Yunnan is stepping up its energy production for the rest of China.
Already we are damming as many blooding rivers as possible to build huge hydro electric projects - partly to stop silting up further down the Yangtze - but now we are getting into solar and wind power projects.
Now this is all well and good, but one of the basics about power production is the need to have the generation near the use.
While there are millions of people here, there aren't billions. So the power has to be transported a long, long way, towards those power-hungry coastal cities.
Or are there plans to move more industry here, to our blue skies?
Flying into Kunming yesterday, you can't but notice how every building has large solar water heating installations.
And now in Shilin, near the Stone Forest, they have put in a 166 MW on-grid solar photovoltaic (PV) power generating project - to generate 77.04 million kilowatt hours and 118.28 million kilowatt hours of electricity each year. The promoters say the program will occupy no arable land and waste mountains that's suitable for afforestation.
The same week, we have an announcement that a new large wind farm is now complete.
Next week, I am hoping my energy levels will be restored.
