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In recent times – with the wind industry taking a belting around the planet – its spruikers have taken to clinging to any vestige of hope, with the anxious zeal of shipwreck survivors happening upon a little fortuitous flotsam.

One such “hope”, is their belief that China provides the perfect example of what wind power outfits can do when immune from the pesky obstacles thrown up by ol’ chestnuts, like free power markets and democratic rights, say.

The line is spun that China is leading the world in the roll-out of these things; and is well on the way to a 100% wind powered future.

But, as with almost everything that the wind industry tosses up as self-justification, the facts tell a somewhat different story – in China:

20% or more of China’s wind power capacity isn’t even connected to the grid (talk about idle gestures);

grid operators aren’t…