The Chinese city Datong, despite being known for its coal resources, is transforming into a solar power center.
“During the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15) period, we have 432 projects with a total investment of 536.4 billion yuan ($84.8 billion) to help the city’s transformation from a high-carbon city into a low-carbon one,” said Geng Yanbo, mayor of the city.
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Datong will also hold a Solar Decathlon in August. Yes, the US Department of Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Solar Decathlon — “During President Hu Jintao’s visit to the US early last year, China’s National Energy Administration signed an agreement with the US energy department and decided to hold a Solar Decathlon in China for the first time.”
URL:
http://cleantechnica.com/2012/04/06/chinese-coal-city-switching-to-solar/