Performing the “Addition and Subtraction” of High-Quality Energy Development
— The National Energy Administration Addresses Relevant Hot Topics
"Greener energy structure, stronger supply resilience, newer industrial system, and more solid governance foundation." At the press conference on the "Promotion of High-Quality Development" series held by the State Council Information Office on June 20, Zhang Jianhua, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the National Energy Administration (NEA), used four "more" to summarize the positive progress in the construction of China's new energy system.
"Ensuring the reasonable energy demand for economic and social development while steadily and orderly promoting the 'dual carbon' goals is the fundamental task of high-quality energy development in the coming period," said Zhang Jianhua. He emphasized the need to coordinate energy security and low-carbon transition, driving high-quality energy development from both supply and demand sides. This involves doing the "subtraction" of energy-saving and carbon reduction on the consumption side, as well as the "addition" of enhancing the quality and quantity of non-fossil energy on the supply side.
Doing the "Subtraction" of Energy-Saving and Carbon Reduction on the Consumption Side
Energy-saving and carbon reduction are critical measures for steadily advancing carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, comprehensively promoting the construction of a Beautiful China, and facilitating the green transition of economic and social development.
Over the past decade, under the guidance of President Xi Jinping's new energy security strategy of "Four Revolutions, One Cooperation," China has significantly improved its energy utilization efficiency, becoming one of the fastest countries in terms of reducing energy intensity globally.
"We deeply practice the concept of green development, fully leveraging the transformative role of the consumption side. The energy consumption structure has been continuously optimized, and green low-carbon energy development has reached new heights," said Zhang Jianhua. From 2013 to 2023, the proportion of coal consumption in China dropped from 67.4% to 55.3%, a cumulative decline of 12.1 percentage points. The proportion of non-fossil energy consumption, including wind, solar, hydro, nuclear, and biomass energy, increased from 10.2% to 17.9%, a cumulative rise of 7.7 percentage points.
"The most direct feeling people have about high-quality energy development is that the quantity and the quality of energy is improved." Zhang Jianhua stated. The NEA adheres to a people-centered development philosophy, ensuring the bottom line of energy use for people's livelihood and continuously enhancing the sense of gain on energy use for people.
Positively responding to the public's expectations and needs for energy use. According to local conditions, China has promoted clean heating in winter in the northern regions, significantly improving residents' heating conditions. The infrastructure for electric vehicle charging has developed rapidly, with nearly 10 million charging piles built, and over 95% of highway service areas equipped with charging facilities, forming the world's most extensive, widest coverage, and most diverse charging infrastructure system, supporting the energy needs of over 20 million new energy vehicles in China.
"Electricity is the main field of coal use. We are advancing the elimination of outdated coal power units and their energy-saving, carbon-reducing, flexibility, and heating transformations. By the end of last year, over 95% of coal power units achieved ultra-low emissions," said Li Fulong, Director of the Development Planning Department of the NEA.
As we move towards the "dual carbon" goals, the tasks of energy-saving and carbon reduction on the consumption side become more urgent.
Li Fulong pointed out that China faces significant energy demand pressure, and the task of energy-saving and carbon reduction is arduous. "In the coming period, China's inelastic energy demand will continue to grow. According to the requirements of coordinating energy security and low-carbon transition, we need to continue to work collaboratively from both the supply and demand sides, promoting energy-saving and carbon reduction with greater efforts."
The press conference disclosed that in the next steps, the NEA will assist key industries in implementing energy-saving and carbon reduction actions, innovate energy supply and consumption models in industrial parks, continue to build electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and take various measures to promote electric energy substitution in industry, construction, and transportation sectors. The issuance of green certificates will continue to be advanced, aiming for full coverage of green certificates for renewable energy projects such as wind, solar, and biomass power as soon as possible. Furthermore, the green certificate trading mechanism will be refined to expand green energy consumption across society. "By 2025, the electrification level of terminal energy consumption will reach about 30%," said Li Fulong.
Doing the "Addition" of Enhancing the Quality and Quantity of Non-Fossil Energy
At the press conference, strengthening the clean energy development and consumption capacity became a key topic.
In recent years, the supply of non-fossil energy in China has accelerated. In the first three years of the "14th Five-Year Plan," the annual average increase was 1.4 times that of the "13th Five-Year Plan," driving the annual average increase in the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption by 0.7 percentage points, with non-fossil energy power generation capacity historically surpassing thermal power.
"We need to intensify the development of non-fossil energy, coordinating the development and utilization of nuclear, hydro, and new energy. Enhancing system regulation by improving the grid's ability to accept, allocate, and regulate clean energy," said Zhang Jianhua. The goal is to ensure that more of the energy demand increase is met by non-fossil energy and to increase the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption by 1 percentage point annually.
Advancing the construction of new energy infrastructure networks to ensure that green power is generated more, transmitted out, and used effectively.
Du Zhongming, Director of the Electricity Department of the NEA, stated that to enhance the power system's capacity for renewable energy consumption, it is essential to accelerate the construction of supporting grid projects for new energy, urging grid enterprises to optimize grid connection processes. On this basis, actively promoting the improvement of system regulation capabilities and coordinated development of grids and power sources, fully leveraging the role of the grid as a resource allocation platform, and flexibly adjusting dispatch operations to enhance inter-provincial mutual assistance and resource sharing.
"As the large-scale development of distributed renewable energy, we will strengthen the construction and renovation of distribution networks, creating a robust and flexible grid structure, enhancing intelligent levels, and improving dispatch operation mechanisms. By 2025, the distribution network will have the capacity to accommodate about 500 million kilowatts of distributed renewable energy," said Du Zhongming.
Li Chuangjun, Director of the New Energy and Renewable Energy Department of the NEA, stated that to better promote new energy development, efforts will be made to advance the construction of electricity spot markets, forming time-of-use price signals that more promptly reflect electricity supply and demand. Additionally, the coverage of spot markets will be further expanded, steadily and orderly promoting the participation of new energy in the electricity market, and facilitating the sustainable and healthy development of the new energy industry through effective market mechanisms.
Focus on promoting the healthy development of the photovoltaic industry. Li Chuangjun stated that emphasized both centralized and distributed development to consolidate the new photovoltaic power installations market domestically. Strengthen inter-departmental coordination, timely releasing information on industry scale, capacity utilization rate, and market demand, and reasonably guide the construction and release of upstream photovoltaic capacity. "We will also continue to enhance the capacity for photovoltaic technology innovation, fully leveraging the leading role of the national energy research and innovation platform, guiding resources towards supporting the research and innovation of advanced technologies and capacities, advancing key technological breakthroughs in efficient solar cells, and promoting technological upgrades in key basic materials," said Li Chuangjun.