Renewable Energy in The People's Republic of China - National Laws and Policies

National Laws and Policies

After the dissolution of the Energy and Industry Department in 1993, China has been running without a government agency effectively managing the country's energy for 16 years. Related issues are supervised by multiple organizations such as National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), Ministry of Commerce, State electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) and so forth. In 2008, National Energy Administration was founded under NDRC, however, its work has been proven inefficient. In January 2010, the State Council decided to set up a National Energy Commission (NEC), headed by current Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. The commission will be responsible for drafting national energy development plan, reviewing energy security and major energy issues and coordinating domestic energy developmentand international cooperation.

The Chinese government is implementing multiple policies to promote renewable energy. From 2008 to January 2012, China held the top spot in clean energy investment. The Renewable Energy Law passed in 2005 explicitly states in its first chapter that the development and the usage of renewable energy is a prioritized area in energy development. The Twelfth Five-Year Plan, the current plan, also gives great emphasis on green energy. Detailed incentive policies and programs include Golden Sun program providing financial subsidies, technology support and market incentives to facilitate the development of solar power industry; the Suggestions on Promoting Wind Electricity Industry in 2006 offering preferential policies for wind power development; and many other policies. Besides promoting policies, China has enacted a number of other policies to standardize renewable energy products, to prevent environmental damage, and to regulate price of green energy. These policies include, but not limited to Renewable Energy Law, Safety Regulations of Hydropower Dams and National Standard of Solar Water Heater.

Several provisions in relevant Chinese laws and regulations address the development of methane gas in rural China. These provisions include Article 54 of the Agriculture Law of the People's Republic of China, Articles 4 and 11 of the Energy Conservation Law of the People's Republic of China, Article 18 of the Renewable Energy Law of the People's Republic of China and Article 12 of the Regulations of the People's Republic of China Concerning Restoring Farmland to Forest.

On April 20, 2007 the Environment and Resources Committee of the National People's Congress and the National Development and Reform Commission convened a conference on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Renewable Energy Law. There were approximately 250 people who attended the conference from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Construction, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), the National Bureau of Forestry, the National Power Network Company, science and technology institutes, oil companies, large energy investment companies, companies manufacturing renewable energy equipment, etc. Other conferences held include The 3rd Annual China Power & Alternative Energy Summit 2007 was held on May 16–20, 2007 at the Swissotel, Beijing; The 2nd China Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Products and Technology Exhibition was held on June 1–3, 2007 in Beijing at the National Agricultural Exhibition Hall; and The 2007 China International Solar Energy and Photovoltaic Engineering Exhibition was held at the Beijing International Exhibition Center on June 25–29, 2007. The sponsors of the exhibition included the Asia Renewable Energy Association, the China Energy Enterprises Management Association and the China Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Enterprise Association.