It seems one of the main drivers pushing China to excel in renewable energy is their current state of pollution. According to the article "Wind power generation in China: Understanding the mismatch between capacity and generation" by Mian Yang and others, China is the biggest emitter of CO2 in the world. This article also states that China used 3.25 billion tons of coal in 2010. This article argues that the high amounts of pollution are a main factor of encouragement to invent renewable energy. The article "Environmental Health Perspectives" by Justin Remais and Junfeng Zhang argues the same thing stating that "China's dependence on coal for nearly 70% of its energy supply contributes more than a quarter of global emissions of inorganic mercury." The article then goes on to explain that China is "investing heavily to reduce its reliance on coal and other fossil fuels." Another article that claims the environmental issues are a major motivation for renewable energy in china is "China's Emergence and the Prospects for Global Sustainability" by Richard Grumbine, which claims that the "regional environmental degradation" are an issue that is constraining China and renewable energy will help. Grumbine also says that China is urbanizing and that urban Chinese consume 3.5 times more energy. .
Another factor that has made a difference in China is the policies. The article "A Study of Chinese Strategies for Energy-Efficient Housing Developments" by Zhenhong Gu and others says that the Chinese government made an eleventh Five-Year plan in 2006. According to Gu, there were 10 energy saving programs in this plan. In the article "China's Renewable Energy Law and Its Impact on Renewable Progress, Challenges, and Recommendations for Improving Implementation" by Sara Schuman and Alvin Lin, they explain that the renewable energy in China was "kick-started with the passage of the Renewable Energy Law of the People's Republic of China.