Cost could curb China’s gas appetite

The post-Tiananmen Square compact of rising living standards in return for political obedience may prioritise affordable residential energy over blue skies

An unpalatable truth it may be, but, in China, clean urban air and camera-friendly blue skies may be a ‘nice to have’. On the other hand, guaranteed affordable household energy, from any source, is core business. Thus, if the ruling Communist Party has to make a choice between cutting pollution and household bills rising to consumer-hurting levels, it is only going to jump one way. In addition, energy security is inextricably linked with China’s overall stability. Should gas import dependency reach levels that concern the authorities, it could further motivate a slowdown in the switch from coal to gas. Chinese gas demand growth rates of 15pc and 18pc in 2017 and 2018 were largely due to a fo