Not much of a surprise, but a good data point nonetheless: governments in Asia are starting to pay much closer attention to renewable energy technologies. Why? The reasons are manifold: local pollution coming from fossil fuel power generation; reduced supply and greater competition for oil, globally; and a growing recognition that this is an emerging market, and first movers could have a real advantage as more countries start looking at renewable energy technology options.
Reuters has a feature article on renewable energy in the region, "Asia sees sense in going green as oil prices rise," focusing primarily upon China but touching on renewable energy strategies across the region. Interestingly, Japan and Korea are not mentioned, but Indonesia, Bangladesh, Cambodia and the Philippines each get a paragraph.
South Korea gets its due in a brief note at Renewable Energy Access, however, "Wind Power to Evolve in Korea & China." Korea Electric Power is set to invest $57.5 million in a wind power facility -- in China. The first foreign company to invest in a Chinese wind power project, Korean Electric will own 40% of the facility. The value of this investment is two-fold: income from a rapidly-growing power market, and experience with large-scale wind generation. Korean Electric's investment in China pales, however, in comparison to energy company China Datang's investment in a wind power project in Inner Mongolia: $989 million.