China is dropping a requirement that 70 percent of wind turbines used in the country be made domestically, according to Bloomberg.
The decision was apparently driven by a desire to get the best turbine technology, which generally comes from Europe, into the country.
Is there a political angle here too?
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-NY, made a splash in November when he asked the Obama administration to block stimulus funding for a Chinese-backed 800-megawatt wind farm in Texas because the components would be made in China.
It’s difficult for Chinese companies to cry foul about protectionism when they have home-made restrictions of their own.
Still, big wind companies, like the Danish Vestas Wind Systems A/S shrugged at today’s news.
A spokesman said, “The ruling will make no difference to our operations, as 70 percent to 80 percent of our turbines are already made in China,”