China World’s Largest Energy Consumer

For more than a century, the U.S. was the largest energy consumer, but not any more! China has become the world’s largest energy consumer. This change in energy consumption will have strategic consequences for the United States and its foreign policy approach.

Over the past few years China’s rapid growth has fueled its voracious appetite for energy by perusing energy deals with some of the worst regimes in the world. In its desire to fuel its expanding economy, China cares little for who it deals with, only that it obtains the energy needs that will continue its rapid economic growth. The current situation with Iran and the sanctions imposed was predicated on not hurting China’s economic interests, or more importantly, the energy it receives from Iran.

This same energy policy has made coal China’s largest energy source, having surpassed the U.S. in 2007, with it now being the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gases. As recently as 2007, China was still consuming 41% of the world's coal, and as of 2005, nearly 63% of the nation's energy demand was coal. Demand for coal is only projected to go up from here — in a recent report from the Pew Center for Climate Change, China's usage could be triple its coal power capacity used in 2005, to projected numbers in 2030.

As Congress debates Cap & Trade legislation curtailing U.S. energy consumption, it's also pushing Kyoto style United Nations Climate Change legislation that exempts China and other nations but places an undue burden on the U.S. economy. The U.S. needs a comprehensive energy policy that ensures the national security of the U.S. is being met, not ideological partisan energy policy.