It’s no longer 1973, when President Nixon could declare that our status as top energy consumer was “good. That means we are the richest, strongest people in the world.” Today, bragging about winning the energy-eating competition doesn’t gain you any brownie points. Which is probably why Chinese authorities were quick to reject the IEA data as “unreliable,” choosing instead to focus on their intention to sink about 5 trillion RMB (about US$750 billion) into renewable energy projects.
Despite the denials, a new age in the history of energy has begun, and the implications are enormous. China may not want to accept the honors, but the reality is that it’s now the most important player on energy’s demand side.