A critical review of factors affecting the wind power generation industry in China

China is facing a number of challenges such as electricity supply shortages, excessive consumption of fossil fuels and environmental pollution. As a renewable energy, wind power plays a vital role in mitigating these issues. With its unique geographical location and rich resources, China has produced a wind power industry that has achieved rapid growth. However, the complex Chinese market environment presents significant challenges to the industry. This research has adopted a strength, weakness, opportunity and threat analysis approach to examine both the internal and external factors that affect the competitiveness of the wind power industry in China. An extensive and critical review of a wide range of literature (including academic papers, industry reports, statistical data, relevant regulations and policy documents) was conducted. As a result, 19 factors were identified. These factors form part of an integrated framework that provides a useful tool for both policy makers and industry to gain a better understanding of what affects the sustainable development of the wind power industry in China. The results also provide a useful reference for foreign firms that intend to explore the Chinese wind power market. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd.