Power shortages across many provinces have forced the Chinese government to order its coal mines to produce as much coal as possible to prepare for winter.

The government has rationed electricity during peak hours, CNN reported, and to help ease the ongoing energy crunch. Beijing had prompted coal mines to curtail production earlier this year to cut carbon emissions, but demand has risen for projects requiring fossil fuel, creating a shortage.

China has also increased the price of electricity by 20%. The goal is to close the gap between coal and power.

China has already committed to increasing its use of solar energy.  A 2019 Reuters report indicated China was the world's largest producer of the products responsible for creating 80% of all solar panels globally.  A portion of those solar panels ends up in New Mexico, which is a high consumer among states in America.  A 2021 profile produced by the U.S. Energy Information Administration showed solar energy provided 5% of the state's in-state electricity in 2020 to rank in the top three in the nation.

David Zaikin, an energy industry consultant and founder of Key Elements Group in London, told Forbes that “One of the biggest mistakes the West has done on green policies to cut CO₂ emissions and trying to reduce dependence on oil and gas producing nations is that the transition to renewable energy puts the West at the mercy of China.” 

The occurrence of power shortage is a major threat to global supply chains struggling to get back in rhythm after the economic disaster caused by COVID-19.  Major companies like Apple have rolled back production to match electricity restrictions imposed by the various national and local governments, according to CNN.

China’s decision to ramp up its coal production is not good news for efforts by the U.S. to create more green energy globally.  Data compiled by the International Energy Agency ranks China as producing the world’s largest share of CO₂ emissions at 28% compared to 15% by the United States.

Unfortunately, there are indications members of the Uyghur population may have been pushed into forced labor to produce the raw materials needed for energy generation. China has previously been accused of genocide against the Uyghur population, and the U.S. State Department published a report in January of 2021 detailing the abuses inflicted on the Uyghur population beginning at the latest in 2017.  Sheffield Hallam University, a public research organization located in the United Kingdom, published research that linked the suppressed Uyghur population to the global solar panel supply.