Featured Publications

Featured papers and articles

Can China break the ‘cost curse’ of nuclear power?
Nature

Escalating construction expenses threaten to derail global progress on atomic energy. China offers lessons on how to rein in costs.

Jul 31, 2025

Fewer than 15% of coal power plant workers in China can easily shift to green jobs by 2060
One Earth

A coal power worker needs to travel 194 (178–242) km on average to access a green job. Only 11%–14% of existing coal power workers will transition to green jobs by 2060.

Nov 5, 2024

Deploying solar photovoltaic energy first in carbon-intensive regions brings gigatons more carbon mitigations to 2060
Communications Earth & Environment

A net GHG mitigation of 1.29 Gt CO2-equivalent from 2009–2019, achieved by 1.97 Gt of mitigation from installation minus 0.68 Gt of emissions from manufacturing.

Oct 11, 2023

Heterogeneous effects of battery storage deployment strategies on decarbonization of provincial power systems in China
Nature Communications

We find heterogeneous strategy provides the lowest system costs, however, carbon emissions depend on carbon prices.

Aug 11, 2023

Global assessment of the carbon–water tradeoff of dry cooling for thermal power generation
Nature Water

We build a global unit-level framework to investigate the CO2 emission and energy penalty due to the deployment of dry cooling.

Aug 7, 2023

Climate change impacts on planned supply–demand match in global wind and solar energy systems
Nature Energy

Up to 32% or 44% of non-Antarctic land areas for wind or solar, respectively, are projected to experience supply demand match reductions by the end of this century under an…

Jul 24, 2023

Quantifying the cost savings of global solar photovoltaic supply chains
Nature

Globalized supply chain has saved solar installers in the U.S., Germany, and China $67B 2008-2020, and solar prices will be 20-30% higher in 2030 if countries move to…

Oct 26, 2022

Challenges and opportunities for carbon neutrality in China
Nature Reviews Earth & Environment

In this Perspective, we summarize the key features of China’s CO2 emissions, its reduction processes and successes in meeting climate targets.

Mar 1, 2022

Enabling a Rapid and Just Transition away from Coal in China
One Earth

Aggressive coal-transition pathway is needed to achieve carbon nutrality goal while achieving water saving, avoiding premature death.

Aug 21, 2020

Rapid cost decrease of renewables and storage accelerates the decarbonization of China’s power system
Nature Communications

A renewable dominant pathway is not just technogical sound, but also cost effective.

May 19, 2020

Experiences and lessons from China’s success in providing electricity for all
Resources, Conservation and Recycling

Key experiences and lessons to be learned from China’s successful program to provide electricity for all.

Jul 1, 2017

SWITCH-China: A Systems Approach to Decarbonizing China’s Power System
Environmental Science & Technology

SWITCH-China, an integrated model for power sector decarbonization.

May 8, 2016
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