Hawkeye Reporter

The United States is moving towards more renewable energy, including solar, and is providing subsidies to do so. Iowa is among the states trying to get on the bandwagon.

A 2021 report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration showed that solar energy produced less than 2% of Iowa's electricity, but the state produces the second most renewable energy from wind in the nation behind only Texas.

Meanwhile, 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, CNN reported Oct. 20.

The government has rationed electricity during peak hours 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’s decision to ramp up its coal production is not good news for efforts by the U.S. towards creating more green energy. Data compiled by the International Energy Agency ranks China as producing the world’s largest share of carbon dioxide emissions at 28% compared to 15% by the United States.

Additional steps China has taken to ease the demand for energy include increasing the price of electricity by 20%.

The 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.

China had previously shown its commitment to increasing its use of renewable 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.

But China has faced backlash over reports of its Uyghur population allegedly being pushed into forced labor to produce the raw materials needed for energy.

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. According to the report, Uyghurs forced into labor in China are responsible for 45% of the world’s solar-grade polysilicon, which 95% of solar modules rely on.