China
Power shortage: Xi presents solutions + DIN standards for China
Dear reader,
Germany is facing a sharp rise in electricity prices – with the cost for natural gases potentially quadrupling. First voices already pinpointed China's enormous demand as one cause of the phenomenon. The People's Republic is indeed already severely affected by the global energy crisis: Power outages will probably continue to plague the country throughout winter, writes Nico Beckert. But balancing supply, demand, and environmental targets has always been difficult for Beijing's planners. Rapid growth causes imbalances, after all.
Meanwhile, Xi Jinping surprised the energy world with a spectacular announcement. China plans to set up new solar and wind power plants with a capacity of 100 gigawatts in remote areas within a short timeframe. That is already half the capacity of all German power plants – and yet it only marks the beginning. According to rumors, up to 400 gigawatts of electrical power could be produced in the desert. However, how exactly it will reach the consumer remains to be seen.
Standardization is power. Two hundred years before the birth of Christ, the first emperor of the Qin dynasty standardized the gauge of carts, currency, and units of measurement in his young empire. Cubit, weights, or grain measures were now unified throughout China. This laid the foundation for the central administration and productive trade between the formerly divided princedoms.
