China is now world largest economy based on energy consumption.

[touchring]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-0...-iea-says.html

China overtook the U.S. as the world’s biggest energy user last year, emphasizing that developing nations are driving global growth, according to the International Energy Agency.
China consumed 2,252 million metric tons of oil equivalent in 2009 in the form of crude, coal, natural gas, nuclear power and renewable sources, IEA Chief Economist Fatih Birol said yesterday. That exceeded the 2,170 million tons used by the U.S.


Total energy consumption in Mtoe US China
2000 2270 1107
2001 2228 1104
2002 2254 1193
2003 2260 1356
2004 2306 1576
2005 2317 1707
2006 2295 1865
2007 2333 1977
2008 2281 2131
2009 (e) 2169 2252

[gnk]

Re: China is now world largest economy based on energy consumption.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-0...-iea-says.html

This is the biggest news this century. For the past 100 yrs, the US was the largest consumer of energy. Energy consumption leads to power and influence, if it can be maintained.

However, I doubt the remaining billion or so Chinese will be able to live the lifestyle we have so far enjoyed as they come onstream and use energy. I doubt we will be able to live the life we once enjoyed too.

[ASH]

Re: China is now world largest economy based on energy consumption.

This is the biggest news this century. For the past 100 yrs, the US was the largest consumer of energy. Energy consumption leads to power and influence, if it can be maintained.

However, I doubt the remaining billion or so Chinese will be able to live the lifestyle we have so far enjoyed as they come onstream and use energy. I doubt we will be able to live the life we once enjoyed too.

I wondered if there was a big difference in energy intensity between the US and China, but apparently, there isn't (or wasn't a few years ago). So yeah... apparently energy usage means approximately the same thing there as here in terms of GDP, although there's probably a big difference in how it is employed.

[c1ue]

Re: China is now world largest economy based on energy consumption.

There's a pretty big difference between the Wiki graph and the US DOE data:

http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/internati...f/tablee1g.xls

According to the DOE, the respective energy intensities (taking out the minor players):

E.1g World Energy Intensity--Total Primary Energy Consumption per Dollar of Gross Domestic
Product Using Market Exchange Rates, 1980-2006
( Btu per (2000) U.S. Dollars)
Region/Country	Fipscd	2006
Tajikistan	TI	190,694
Ukraine	UP	120,920
Kyrgyzstan	KG	116,718
Uzbekistan	UZ	114,641
Kazakhstan	KZ	89,818
Russia	RS	80,923
Iran	IR	78,753
Virgin Islands, U.S.	VQ	76,421
Mongolia	MG	65,651
Trinidad and Tobago	TD	62,507
Korea, North	KN	56,306
Turkmenistan	TX	55,183
Paraguay	PA	50,810
Zimbabwe	ZI	47,744
Iraq	IZ	43,404
China	CH	34,931
Qatar	QA	30,954
South Africa	SF	30,550
Saudi Arabia	SA	28,974
Georgia	GG	28,628
Syria	SY	28,377
Brunei	BX	25,356
Czech Republic	EZ	24,835
India	IN	24,616
Pakistan	PK	24,033
United Arab Emirates	TC	22,740
Yemen	YM	21,876
Oman	MU	20,551
Malaysia	MY	20,451
Egypt	EG	20,275
Lithuania	LH	19,417
Indonesia	ID	18,915
Hungary	HU	18,629
Poland	PL	18,150
Singapore	SN	17,363
Canada	CA	16,486
Libya	LY	16,156
Burma (Myanmar)	BM	14,940
Korea, South	KS	14,051
Latvia	LG	13,951
New Zealand	NZ	13,526
Philippines	RP	12,765
Brazil	BR	12,561
Australia	AS	12,035
Bangladesh	BG	11,769
Ethiopia	ET	11,084
Turkey	TU	10,968
Afghanistan	AF	10,481
Mexico	MX	10,061
Norway	NO	9,991
Netherlands	NL	9,739
Argentina	AR	9,391
Greece	GR	9,068
United States	US	8,841
Haiti	HA	8,545
France	FR	7,767
Germany	GM	7,260
Italy	IT	6,913
Israel	IS	5,852
United Kingdom	UK	5,810
Rwanda	RW	5,698
Somalia	SO	5,393
Hong Kong	HK	5,254
Ireland	EI	5,128
Denmark	DA	4,971
Japan	JA	4,467

A very different conclusion than the UN report...

Note the nations above China in energy usage per dollar domestic GDP: almost all are either energy exporters or are subsidized by energy exporters. Yes, even Paraguay - it exports over 90% of its electricity generated by 2 gigantic hydroelectric projects.

[ASH]

Re: China is now world largest economy based on energy consumption.

There's a pretty big difference between the Wiki graph and the US DOE data:

http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/internati...f/tablee1g.xls

According to the DOE, the respective energy intensities (taking out the minor players):

A very different conclusion than the UN report...

Note the nations above China in energy usage per dollar domestic GDP: almost all are either energy exporters or are subsidized by energy exporters. Yes, even Paraguay - it exports over 90% of its electricity generated by 2 gigantic hydroelectric projects.

The graph from Wikipedia credits the DOE (Energy Information Administration) as well, but uses GDP adjusted for purchasing-power parity.

[metalman]

Re: China is now world largest economy based on energy consumption.

There's a pretty big difference between the Wiki graph and the US DOE data:

http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/internati...f/tablee1g.xls

According to the DOE, the respective energy intensities (taking out the minor players):



A very different conclusion than the UN report...

Note the nations above China in energy usage per dollar domestic GDP: almost all are either energy exporters or are subsidized by energy exporters. Yes, even Paraguay - it exports over 90% of its electricity generated by 2 gigantic hydroelectric projects.

great table... version normalized for percapita gdp? two ways to get energy efficient... hi tech or dirt poor.

[ThePythonicCow]

Re: China is now world largest economy based on energy consumption.

There's a pretty big difference between the Wiki graph and the US DOE data:

http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/internati...f/tablee1g.xls

This report has apparently been updated. The changes are not dramatic. The current U.S. Dept of Energy (DOE) Energy Information Administration (EIA) statistics, restricted to just the 9 nations shown in the Wiki graph ASH posted are available at Energy Intensity - Total Primary Energy Consumption per Dollar of GDP (Btu per Year 2005 U.S. Dollars (Market Exchange Rates)

One of these sources, that Wiki graph or the DOE EIA statistics, is completely out to lunch. That or they are measuring two different things and we have failed to notice what's different.

In the DOE EIA statistics, Iran, China and India are much less (4 to 9 times less) efficient (in BTU's of energy per Dollar of GDP) than the 6 Western nations listed. The Wiki graph has India 2 or 3 times more efficient than anyone else, China about in the middle, and Iran just modestly less efficient than most (all but Norway) of the Western nations.

[we_are_toast]

Re: China is now world largest economy based on energy consumption.

China's GDP is approx 1/2 the U.S., and energy usage about the same. Neither chart nor table seems close.

Conclusion: Energy intensity doesn't appear to be a useful statistic.

[ThePythonicCow]

Re: China is now world largest economy based on energy consumption.

great table... version normalized for percapita gdp? two ways to get energy efficient... hi tech or dirt poor.

Aha - that's likely it. The Wiki graph ASH posted seems to be normalized per capita. China and India may use a lot of energy per dollar of national GDP, but not per dollar of their "average" citizen's GDP.

[ThePythonicCow]

Re: China is now world largest economy based on energy consumption.

China's GDP is approx 1/2 the U.S., and energy usage about the same. Neither chart nor table seems close.

Conclusion: Energy intensity doesn't appear to be a useful statistic.

These charts are based on GDP for various years 2000 to 2006, not on current GDP. Do the charts make more sense to you considering that?

[we_are_toast]

Re: China is now world largest economy based on energy consumption.

These charts are based on GDP for various years 2000 to 2006, not on current GDP. Do the charts make more sense to you considering that?

I hadn't noticed that, so thanks for pointing that out. The number I had found for China's current GDP was considerably off.

China's GDP in 2006 $2.7T
U.S. GDP $11.8T
With China using roughly 90% energy of U.S. A rough ratio of 4/1 puts it pretty much in line with the table posted by C1ue.

[GRG55]

Re: China is now world largest economy based on energy consumption.

I hadn't noticed that, so thanks for pointing that out. The number I had found for China's current GDP was considerably off.

China's GDP in 2006 $2.7T
U.S. GDP $11.8T
With China using roughly 90% energy of U.S. A rough ratio of 4/1 puts it pretty much in line with the table posted by C1ue.

Once again...it takes VERY LITTLE ENERGY to create GDP from financial assets [how much energy is needed to create a CDO cubed and flog that off to some idiot European bank or pension fund manager?]. 2006 was close to the peak of the US "financial economy". The comparisons are apples and oranges.

Now that finance is busted it will be interesting to see how things unfold in this decade. Will China become "more financialized", and therefore less "energy intensive"? Will the USA actually be able to "reindustrialize"? Will one nation see improvements in "energy intensity" [albeit starting from a low efficiency base] while the other sees "deterioration"? Does it really matter, given there is not any shortage of energy in all its myriad forms?

[ASH]

Re: China is now world largest economy based on energy consumption.

One of these sources, that Wiki graph or the DOE EIA statistics, is completely out to lunch. That or they are measuring two different things and we have failed to notice what's different.

I'm thinking the purchasing power parity versus exchange rate basis for GDP is the cause of the discrepancy. I believe the GDP everyone has been looking at is calculated based upon the reported GDP in Yuan and the official currency exchange rate, whereas the EIA graph posted on Wikipedia uses GDP normalized for purchasing power parity. It's not a per-capita thing; it's a "okay -- a Yuan is $0.1476, but what can you get in China for 1 Yuan and what can you get in the US for $0.15?" thing.

[metalman]

Re: China is now world largest economy based on energy consumption.

I'm thinking the purchasing power parity versus exchange rate basis for GDP is the cause of the discrepancy. I believe the GDP everyone has been looking at is calculated based upon the reported GDP in Yuan and the official currency exchange rate, whereas the EIA graph posted on Wikipedia uses GDP normalized for purchasing power parity. It's not a per-capita thing; it's a "okay -- a Yuan is $0.1476, but what can you get in China for 1 Yuan and what can you get in the US for $0.15?" thing.

average 'merican uses a shitload more energy than the ave. chinese to produce enough economic output to buy 1 oz of gold. how's that?

[GRG55]

Re: China is now world largest economy based on energy consumption.

average 'merican uses a shitload more energy than the ave. chinese to produce enough economic output to buy 1 oz of gold. how's that?

Yah, but they are probably buying it in the form of an ETF and using a margin account to do it...nothing has changed...