Will China’s energy crisis dampen its effort to cut emissions?

China will play a key role in whether the world can curb global warming. But it’s also an industrial powerhouse, and recent electricity shortages reveal challenges ahead in balancing economic and environmental goals.

Liu Rui, a university student in Tonghua, a city in Jilin province, felt anxious. A sudden, widespread power outage across northeastern China had left her family without electricity to cook or heat water, and her laptop’s battery was running out before an online class.

“I was always worried the internet would suddenly disconnect during class,” says Ms....