China's electric grid has a dirty secret: it is the largest emitter of sulfur hexafluoride, a synthetic chemical described as the planet's most potent greenhouse gas. This stands in sharp contrast to the country's position as the world leader in renewable energy expansion.
The report from Inside Climate News highlights this contradiction. Even as China builds out wind and solar at an unprecedented scale, its grid infrastructure is releasing a super-pollutant that undermines the climate benefits of that clean energy build-out.
Sulfur hexafluoride, or SF6, is a synthetic chemical, and its role in the grid makes clear that the transition to clean power must also address hidden emissions from the equipment that delivers electricity.