The purpose of the Gobi Solar Project is to build a large photovoltaic array in the Gobi desert, large enough, along with local generation and wind and hydroelectricity, to provide all of China's electricity.

The total world demand for energy has been increasing by about 5% each year, yet since 2005 we have been at peak oil, and the supply of energy is unable to meet the demand for energy, and is short by about 1%, but in only 4 years, by 2015, an energy gap of 20% is projected, which can only be met in one of three ways, rationing, massive price increases, or enhanced development of wind and solar energy. If we target 10% total energy from wind and 10% of total energy from solar by 2015, the gap can be met with no rationing and no price increases. If we can do that, then within another 5 years, coal, oil, and natural gas can be completely replaced by wind and solar.

At current rates of consumption, at the end of 2010, the world had a 118 year supply of coal, 46.2 years of oil, and 56.2 years of natural gas. In the United States, due to increasing efficiency, total energy use is expected to decrease by 50% by 2050. The above chart predicts that total consumption will increase until 2035, and then decrease. Recently the supply of natural gas was 70 years and the supply of oil 35 years. The increase of oil is mostly due to increasing sources of oil, such as from shale, while the decrease of natural gas is due to increased use of natural gas.