Editor's Note
Since its implementation in 2006, the Renewable Energy Law of the People's Republic of China (hereinafter "Renewable Energy Law") has established the legal foundation for China's rapid renewable energy development. Under this legal framework, the construction of new power systems and modern energy infrastructure has accelerated, with renewables consistently achieving double-digit annual growth in recent years. By the end of 2024, China's installed wind capacity reached approximately 510 GW and solar PV capacity hit 840 GW, maintaining utilization rates above 95%. Accounting for over 40% of global annual new installations, these developments continuously power global green growth while contributing Chinese solutions and strength to worldwide energy transition.
As China advances its carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, revising the Renewable Energy Law to address emerging challenges and strategic imperatives has entered the legislative agenda. To facilitate this process, China Energy News has launched a special column in collaboration with Tsinghua University's Expert and Working Groups for Renewable Energy Law Revision. This initiative will examine critical legal provisions, institutional mechanisms, and pivotal issues to foster consensus and gather expert insights. We welcome substantive recommendations from all stakeholders at kzsnyfxd@163.com.
Editorial Perspective
Since its enactment in 2006, China’s Renewable Energy Law has established foundational mechanisms including guaranteed full purchase, subsidy funds, and tax incentives, driving remarkable renewable growth. By mid-2024, national renewable capacity exceeded 1,600 GW—over half of China’s total installed capacity and the world’s largest—with domestic industries achieving self-sufficiency and global cost advantages. As renewables transition into primary energy sources, this law remains pivotal for energy security and carbon neutrality goals.
Yet challenges persist:
Grid operations and market mechanisms struggle to accommodate renewables at scale
Guaranteed full purchase faces implementation hurdles, with inadequate revenue protection post-market entry
Variable generation intensifies demands for grid resilience and balancing resources
Planning misalignment between renewable projects and land/maritime spatial constraints
Industrial homogenization and insufficient fiscal policy support
With China’s energy landscape transformed since the law’s 2009 amendment—marked by renewables becoming cost-competitive without subsidies and grids evolving into nationwide hybrid AC/DC systems—comprehensive legal revision is imperative. Tsinghua University’s research underscores three imperatives:
Urgent institutional reform, particularly transitioning from guaranteed purchase to market-based mechanisms
Holistic systems thinking balancing policy-market dynamics, stakeholder interests, and short-long-term goals
Core objective alignment: Designing equitable cost-allocation frameworks for renewable integration while ensuring grid stability
Six research priorities emerge:
1. Market Transition Mechanisms
Compare international approaches to replace guaranteed purchase with market-compatible revenue assurance, stabilizing investment expectations.
2. Planning Coordination
Strengthen linkages between national/local renewable targets, grid development, and backup capacity planning.
3. Market Innovation
Redesign energy/ancillary services/capacity markets to support high-renewable penetration and efficient cost allocation.
4. Grid Modernization
Develop coordinated planning frameworks aligning renewables with new power systems across generation-network-load-storage value chains.
5. Spatial Solutions
Address land/maritime constraints through spatial optimization studies enabling accelerated deployment.
6. Industrial Policy
Formulate fiscal/tax measures to foster innovation, international collaboration, and differentiated competitiveness.
Through these lenses, we aim to crystallize renewable development logic, forge societal consensus, and establish a legal framework sustaining China’s clean energy leadership.
