Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

The Access Regime of Renewable Energy to the Grid Network in China: a Legal Analysis

  • Regional Renewable Energy (China) (K Lo, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Sustainable/Renewable Energy Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

This paper focuses on the access regime of renewable energy to the grid network in China by analysing the key regulatory instruments and relevant literature.

Recent Findings

The existing literature highlights the importance of pricing liberalisation in China’s electricity sector to create an enabling environment for reforming dispatch regulation, and clarifying the scope and definition of circumstances affecting grid security and stability so as to restrict the discretion held by grid company when interpreting these circumstances during renewable energy curtailment.

Summary

The paper summarises the major challenges of energy efficiency dispatch and the newly implemented trading scheme of renewable energy certificates (RECs trading). The findings suggest that the recent electricity sector reform will assist the RECs trading to deliver its desired outcome. Nonetheless, the targets assigned to provincial governments need to be more stringent, and further research is required to understand more in-depth about the design of the RECs trading and its implementation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

  1. Bird L, Lew D, Milligan M, Carlini EM, Estanqueiro A, Flynn D, et al. Wind and solar energy curtailment: a review of international experience. Renew Sust Energ Rev. 2016;65:577–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Duncan D, Sovacool BK. The barriers to the successful development of commercial grid connected renewable electricity projects in Australia, Southeast Asia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Renew Energy Law Policy Rev. 2011;2(4):283–301.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Qi Y, Lu J, Zhu M. Wind curtailment in China and lessons from the United States. Brookings-Tsinghua Center Public Policy 2018; 1–27.

  4. Zhang H. Prioritizing access of renewable energy to the grid in China: regulatory mechanisms and challenges for implementation. Chin Jf Environ Law. 2019;3(2):167–202.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. National Energy Administration (NEA). Accessing to the Grid Network by Wind Power in 2016 (2016年风电并网运行情况), www.nea.gov.cn/2017-01/26/c_136014615.htm; 2017.

  6. NEA. Press Conference of NEA on Performance of China’s Electricity Sector in 2017 (国家能源局新闻发布会介绍2017年度相关能源情况等), www.nea.gov.cn/2018-01/24/c_136921015.htm, 2018.

  7. National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and NEA. Notice of the NDRC and the NEA on Establishing and Improving the Guarantee Mechanism for Renewable Energy Integration and Consumption (国家发展改革委 国家能源局关于建立健全可再生能源电力消纳保障机制的通知), NDRC Order No. (2019)807, 10 May 2019.

  8. Schuman S, Lin A. China’s renewable energy law and its impact on renewable power in China: progress, challenges and recommendations for improving implementation. Energy Policy. 2012;51:89–109.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Zinglersen C. A new era of shared clean energy leadership begins in China (International Energy Agency) https://www.iea.org/commentaries/a-new-era-of-shared-clean-energy-leadership-begins-in-china; 2019.

  10. Kahrl F, Williams J, Ding J, Hu J. Challenges to China’s transition to a low carbon electricity system. Energy Policy. 2011;39:4032–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Xinhua News. China’s pledge to cut CO2 emissions boosts global confidence in tackling climate change. http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-09/25/c_139396703.htm.

  12. Zhao Z, Chen Y. Critical factors affecting the development of renewable energy power generation: evidence from China. J Clean Prod. 2018;184:466–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Zhang S, Andrews-Speed P, Zhao X. Political and institutional analysis of the successes and failures of China’s wind power policy. Energy Policy. 2013;56:331–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. He Y, Xu Y, Pang Y, Tian H, Wu R. A regulatory policy to promote renewable energy consumption in China: review and future evolutionary path. Renew Energy. 2016;89:695–705.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Li C, Shi H, Cao Y, Wang J, Kuang Y, Tan Y, et al. Comprehensive review of renewable energy curtailment and avoidance: a specific example in China. Energy Policy. 2015;41:1067–79.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Kahrl F, Williams J, Hu J. The political economy of electricity dispatch reform in China. Energy Policy. 2013;53:361–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Renewable Energy Law of the People’s Republic of China (中华人民共可再生能源法) (Adopted at the 14th Meeting the Standing Committee of the Tenth National People's Congress on February 28, 2005; Amended according to the Decision of the 12th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the 11th National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China on December 26, 2009).

  18. Boute A, Zhang H. The role of the market and traditional regulation in decarbonising China’s energy supply. J Environ Law. 2018;30:261–84.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Cunningham E The state and the firm: China’s energy governance in context. (Boston University GEGI Working Paper 1, 2015). http://ash.harvard.edu/files/chinas-energy-working-paper.pdf.

  20. Lu X, McElroy M, Peng W, Liu S, Nielsen C, Wang H. Challenges faced by China compared with the US in developing wind power. Nat Energy. 2016;1(6):1–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Li S, Zhang S, Andrews-Speed P. Using diverse market-based approaches to integrate renewable energy: experiences from China. Energy Policy. 2019;125:330–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Gao C, Li Y. Evolution of China’s power dispatch principle and the new energy saving power dispatch policy. Energy Policy. 2010;38:7346–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Ding Y, Yang H. Promoting energy-saving and environmentally friendly generation dispatching model in China: phase development and case studies. Energy Policy. 2013;57:109–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Qi Y, Dong W, Dong C, Huang C. Understanding institutional barriers for wind curtailment in China. Renew Sust Energ Rev. 2019;105:476–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Zeng M, Duan J, Wang L, Zhang Y, Xue S. Orderly grid connection of renewable energy generation in China: management mode, existing problems and solutions. Renew Sust Energ Rev. 2015;41:14–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Li W, Xu P, Lu X, Wang H, Pang Z. Electricity demand response in China: status, feasible market schemes and pilots. Energy. 2016;114:981–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Liu J. China’s renewable energy law and policy: a critical review. Renew Sust Energ Rev. 2019;99:212–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. State Council, Opinions of the State Council on Further Reforming the Electric Power System (中共中央国务院关于进一步深化电力体制改革的若干意见) State Council Order No. (2015)9, Annex 4 titled Implementation Opinions on Deregulating the Plans for Electricity Generation and Usage (关于有序放开发用电计划的实施意见).

  29. Davidson M, Pérez-Arriaga I. Avoiding pitfalls in China’s electricity sector reforms. Energy J. 2020;41(3):119–41.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Zhang H. Antinomic policy making under the fragmented authoritarianism: regulating China’s electricity sector through the energy-climate-environment dimension. Energy Policy. 2019;128:162–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Zhang S, Andrews-Speed P, Li S. To what extent will China’s ongoing electricity market reforms assist the integration of renewable energy? Energy Policy. 2018;114:165–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Liu S, Bie Z, Lin J, Wang X. Curtailment of renewable energy in Northwest China and market-based solutions. Energy Policy. 2018;123:494–502.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. NDRC and NEA. Notice on Establishing and Improving the Guarantee Mechanism for Renewable Energy Power Consumption (关于建立健全可再生能源电力消纳保障机制的通知) NDRC Order No. (2019)807, 10 May 2019.

  34. NEA. Draft Measure for Renewable Electricity Quota and Assessment (draft for comment) (可再生能源电力配额及考核办法(征求意见稿)) NEA Order No. (2018)28, 15 November 2018.

  35. Yu X, Dong Z, Zhou D, Sang X, Chang C, Huang X. Integration of tradable green certificates trading and carbon emissions trading: how will Chinese power industry do? J Clean Prod. 2021;279:123485 forthcoming.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Zhou Y, Zhao X, Wang Z. Demand side incentive under renewable portfolio standards: a system dynamics analysis. Energy Policy. 2020;144:111652 forthcoming.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Tu Q, Mo J, Betz R, Cui L, Fan Y, Liu Y. Achieving grid parity of solar PV power in China - the role of tradable green certificate. Energy Policy. 2020;144:111681 forthcoming.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Zhang H. China’s Legal framework for emissions trading and other market initiatives. In: He X, Zhang H, Zahar, editors. Climate change law in China in global context. Routledge; 2020:84–102.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hao Zhang.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

Hao Zhang declares that he received a Direct Grant for Research (4059043) from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, June 30, 2019–December 29, 2020.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Regional Renewable Energy (China)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zhang, H. The Access Regime of Renewable Energy to the Grid Network in China: a Legal Analysis. Curr Sustainable Renewable Energy Rep 8, 50–56 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40518-020-00170-4

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40518-020-00170-4

Keywords

Navigation