How China's capital got in over its head, and what the city is doing to get its water crisis under control.

BEIJING, April 23 (UPI) -- The National Energy Administration in China said the country's demand for energy is growing faster than previously reported.

The NEA said demand for electricity would grow up to 12 percent in 2011 with total consumption reaching up to 4.69 trillion kilowatt hours, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported Saturday.

In January, the NEA estimated China's demand for electricity would grow 9 percent this year compared to 2010.

It is no secret China is currently beating the United States in the race to be the global leader of the new energy economy.  However, with each passing month the gap between the two nations appears to be growing.

Published: February 28, 2011

BEIJING — China’s environment minister on Monday issued an unusually stark warning about the effects of unbridled development on the country’s air, water and soil, saying the nation’s current path could stifle long-term economic growth and feed social instability

Exploring an escalating confrontation over resources with global implications.

Water scarcity, rapid economic growth and soaring energy demand are forming a tightening noose that could choke off China's modernization.

Underlying China's new standing in the world, like a tectonic fault line, is an increasingly fierce competition between energy and water that threatens to upend China's progress. Simply put, say Chinese authorities and government reports, China's demand for energy, particularly for coal, is outpacing its freshwater supply.