Last year the Chinese government set an ambitious energy target, aiming for 40% of its grid’s power to come from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030. President Xi Jinping also said China will be carbon neutral by 2060. This week the country put its money where its mouth is, announcing the construction of 450 gigawatts (GW) of solar and wind power, all of which will be put up in the Gobi and other deserts.