This article analyzes the challenges to effective environmental protection in the power sectors of China and India. Its analytical framework consists of identification of environmental policies and regulations affecting electricity generation, assessment of problems faced when implementing these policies and regulations, and finally recommendations for surmounting the barriers encountered. Environmental issues in the electricity sector have been addressed directly, through laws and governmental orders, and indirectly, through policies on alternative technologies and efficiency improvement. However, successful environmental regulation has been hampered in these large developing countries by the compelling need for energy and the consequent rapid increase in electricity generation. Solutions to these problems lie in combinations of cleaner and more-efficient generation, appropriate control equipment, and more-efficient end-use devices. Among factors that facilitate effective adoption of these solutions are state prioritization, fiscal and financial incentives, appropriate technological choices, institutional involvement, integrated planning, public participation, and international commitments.
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