Background,　Goal　and　Scope.　The　objective　of　this　study　was　to　produce　detailed　a　life　cycle　inventory　(LCI)　for　the　provision　of　1　kWh　of　electricity　to　consumers　in　China　in　2002　in　order　to　identify　areas　of　improvement　in　the　industry.　The　system　boundaries　were　processes　in　power　stations,　and　the　construction　and　operation　of　infrastructure　were　not　included.　The　scope　of　this　study　was　the　consumption　of　fossil　fuels　and　the　emissions　of　air　pollutants,　water　pollutants　and　solid　wastes,　which　are　listed　as　follows:.　(1)　consumption　of　fossil　fuels,　including　general　fuels,　such　as　raw　coal,　crude　oil　and　natural　gas,　and　the　uranium　used　for　nuclear　power;　(2)　emissions　of　air　pollutants　from　thermal　power,　hydropower　and　nuclear　power　plants;　(3)　emissions　of　water　pollutants,　including　general　water　waste　from　fuel　electric　plants　and　radioactive　waste　fluid　from　nuclear　power　plants;　(4)　emissions　of　solid　wastes,　including　fly　ash　and　slag　from　thermal　power　plants　and　radioactive　solid　wastes　from　nuclear　power　plants.　Methods.　Data　were　collected　regarding　the　amount　of　fuel,　properties　of　fuel　and　the　technical　parameters　of　the　power　plants.　The　emissions　of　CO2,　SO2,　NO.,　CH,,　CO,　non-methane　volatile　organic　compound　(NMVOC),　dust　and　heavy　metals　(As,　Cd,　Cr,　Hg,　Ni,　Pb,　V,　Zn)　from　thermal　power　plants　as　well　as　fuel　production　and　distribution　were　estimated.　The　emissions　of　CO2　and　CH,　from　hydropower　plants　and　radioactive　emissions　from　nuclear　power　plants　were　also　investigated.　Finally,　the　life　cycle　inventory　for　China＇s　electricity　industry　was　calculated　and　analyzed.　Results.　Related　to　1　kWh　of　usable　electricity　in　China　in　2002,　the　consumption　of　coal,　oil,　gas　and　enriched　uranium　were　4.57E-01,　8.88E-03,　7.95E-03　and　9.03E-08　kg;　the　emissions　of　COD　SO2,　NO.,　CO,　CH4,　NMVOC,　dust,　As,　Cd,　Cr,　Hg,　Ni,　Pb,　V,　and　Zn　were　8.77E-01,　8.04E-03,　5.23E-03,　1.25E-03,　2.65E-03,　3.95E-04,　1.63E-02,1.62E-06,1.03E-08,　1.37E-07,　7.11E-08,　2.03E-07,1.42E-06,　2.33E-06,　and　1.94E-06　kg;　the　emissions　of　waste　water,　COD,　coal　fly　ash,　and　slag　were　1.31,　6.02E-05,　8.34E-02,　and　1.87E-02　kg;　and　the　emissions　of　inactive　gas,　halogen　and　gasoloid,　tritium,　non-tritium,　and　radioactive　solid　waste　were　3.74E+01　Bq,　1.61E-01　Bq,　4.22E+01　Bq,　4.06E-02　Bq,　and　2.68E-10　m(3)　respectively.　Conclusions.　The　comparison　result　between　the　LCI　data　of　China＇s　electricity　industry　and　that　of　Japan　showed　that　most　emission　intensities　of　China＇s　electricity　industry　were　higher　than　that　of　Japan　except　for　NMVOC.　Compared　with　emission　intensities　of　the　electricity　industry　in　Japan,　the　emission　intensities　of　CO2　and　Ni　in　China　were　about　double;　the　emission　intensities　of　NOx,　Cd,　CO,　Cr,　Hg　and　SO2　in　China　were　more　than　10　times　that　of　Japan;　and　the　emission　intensities　of　CH4,　V,　Pb,　Zn,　As　and　dust　were　more　than　20　times.　The　reasons　for　such　disparities　were　also　analyzed.　Recommendations　and　Perspectives.　To　get　better　LCI　for　the　electricity　industry　in　China,　it　is　important　to　estimate　the　life　cycle　emissions　during　fuel　production　and　transportation　for　China.　Another　future　improvement　could　be　the　development　of　LCIs　for　construction　and　operation　of　infrastructure　such　as　factory　buildings　and　dams.　It　would　also　be　important　to　add　the　information　about　land　use　for　hydropower.