China's Hydroelectric Sector Crippled by Severe Drought

China's Hydroelectric Sector Crippled by Severe Drought

oilprice.com

"...But by last month, that generation had fallen to just 9,540 GW-hours, a 69% decrease. Although affected by the season, this kind of decrease was unprecedented. Overall hydroelectricity from the southwest power plants has been reduced by 40 percent due to the drought.

In Yunnan Province, the generated power has only been less than 20% of normal. The situation in Guangxi Province was even worse, where some 90% of the hydro capacity is considered “paralyzed.”

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Yet another reminder of the limits of growth.

There is an old saw that if you lock two economists in a closet with no food and water, they will not be troubled because they will assume the "demand" generated by their hunger will automatically produce a "suply" of meals. Sadly the 21st century will be the era in which neoclassical economics relentlessly meets its match at the hands of a brutal reality again and again.

oilprice.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

This highlights two things, the energy crisis that China is having trying to meet their growth, but more importantly a water crisis. With such a massive population, if they are in a drought they will need a lot of water, and it has to come from somewhere! And with all the pollution of waterways already prevalent in China, this spells disaster.

NEXUS