The Power of Renewables: Opportunities and Challenges for China and the United States

Main findings and concerning renewable resource assessments, technology development, environmental impacts, market infrastructure, among others, are presented. Specific recommendations have been limited to those judged to be most likely to accelerate the pace of deployment, increase cost-competitiveness, or shape the future market for renewable energy. The recommendations presented here are also pragmatic and achievable.

The U.S. National Academies reviewed renewable energy development and deployment in the two countries, to highlight prospects for collaboration across the research to deployment chain and to suggest strategies which would promote more rapid and economical attainment of renewable energy goals.

Contents
SUMMARY
1 INTRODUCTION
Resources, Technologies, and Environmental Impacts
Policy and Economic Considerations
Challenges of Scale
Cooperative Competitors
2 RESOURCE BASE
Assessing Renewable Resources
Wind Power in the United States
Wind Power in China
Solar Power in the United States
Solar Power in China
Biomass for Biopower
Biopower in the United States
Biopower in China
Geothermal Power in the United States
Geothermal Power in China
Hydrokinetic Power in the United States
Hydrokinetic Power in China
Integrated Resource Planning
Findings
Recommendations
3 TECHNOLOGY READINESS
Wind Power
Solar Photovoltaic Power
Concentrating Solar Power Systems
Biopower
Geothermal Power
Hydropower
Modernizing the Electricity Grid
Findings
Recommendations
4 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY GENERATION
Fossil Fuel vs. Renewable Electricity Generation
Project-Scale Impacts and Regulation for Renewable Energy
Findings
Recommendations
5 RENEWABLE ENERGY POLICIES, MARKETS, AND DEPLOYMENT IN CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES
Renewable Energy Policy in China
Renewable Energy Policy in the United States
Comparison of Energy Policies
Potential Constraints on Deployment
Financing an Expanded Market for Renewables
Near-Term Priorities to Support Deployment
Findings
Recommendations
6 TRANSITIONING TO A SUSTAINABLE ENERGY ECONOMY
Moving toward Integrated Systems
Transforming the Energy System
Future Scenarios
Findings
Recommendations
7 U.S.-CHINESE COOPERATION
The Basis for Collaboration on Renewable Energy
Overview of U.S.-Chinese Cooperation
Barriers to Cooperation
Opportunities for Expanding Cooperation
Findings
Recommendations
REFERENCES
APPENDIXES
A Timeline of U.S.-Chinese Cooperation on Clean Energy and Climate Change
B Life Cycle Assessment of Solar Thermal Power Technology in China
C Life Cycle Assessment of Biomass Power in China
D Environmental Considerations for Photovoltaics