Jonathan Watts in the Guardian (UK): China's dam builders will press ahead with controversial plans to build a cascade of hydropower plants in one of the country's most spectacular canyons, it was reported today, in an apparent reversal for prime minister Wen Jiabao. The move to harness the power of the pristine Nu river - better known outside of China as the Salween - overturns a suspension ordered by the premier in 2004 on environmental grounds and reconfirmed in 2009.Back then, conservation groups hailed the reprieve as a rare victory against Big Hydro in an area of southwest Yunnan province that is of global importance for biodiversity. But Huadian - one of the country's five biggest utilities - and the provincial government have argued that more low-carbon energy is needed to meet the climate commitments of the fast-growing economy.
Their lobbying appears to have been successful, according to reports in the state media. "We believe the Nu River can be developed and we hope that progress can be made during the 12th Five-Year Plan period (2011-2015)," Shi Lishan, the deputy director of new energy at the National Energy Administration, told Chinese national radio. The plan envisages the construction of 13 dams on the middle and lower reaches of the river, with a total generating capacity of 21.3GW that is similar to that of the Three Gorges Dam….
The Salawin river (a.k.a. the Nujiang river in China) at the border village of Mae Sam Laep. Myanmar is on the left bank. Shot by Takeaway (talk), Wikimedia Commons, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license
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