Around the same time that the United States was backing out of the Paris climate agreement, China was moving ahead with innovative plans for supplying renewable energy. A solar energy plant that floats on a man-made lake in China’s Anhui province has now gone online. The floating solar project, the largest in the world, is capable of producing 40 megawatts of power -- enough to power more than 15,000 homes. The project is helping to cement China's reputation as a leader in clean energy, having built up its wind, hydroelectric, and solar capabilities.
At the forefront of renewable energy:
- By the end of 2016, China was regularly producing 77.42 gigawatts of solar energy -- more than any other country in the world -- and double what it produced in 2015.
- According to the National Energy Administration, 11 percent of China's energy use comes from renewable sources. By 2030, China hopes to meet one of its Paris accord goals by reaching 20 percent.
- Floating solar panel technology improves on traditional solar farms. The water cools the solar panels, making them run more efficiently, and the panels don't take up valuable space on land.