Meta Data
Title in national language: 
可再生能源法
Draft: 
No
Revision of previous policy?: 
No
Draft Year: 
2005
Effective Start Year: 
2006
Scope: 
National
Document Type: 
Law
Economic Sector: 
Energy, Power
Energy Types: 
Power, Renewable, Bioenergy, Geothermal, Hydropower, Solar, Wave and Tidal, Wind
Issued by: 
National People's Congress of China
Notes: 
Bilingual document
Overall Summary: 
The law is enacted in order to promote the exploitation of renewable energy, increase energy supply, improve the energy structure, ensure energy safety, protect the environment, and attain the sustainable development of the economy and society.
Access
Energy access priorities: 
[T]he States encourages and supports exploitation of renewable energy in rural areas.
Energy access action plan: 
The energy administration departments of local people’s governments at or above the county level shall, in light of local economic and social development, the need for comprehensive improvement of ecological protection and public health and other actual conditions, work with the relevant departments to draw up plans for development of renewable energy in rural areas, in order to promote the wide use of the technologies for conversion of biomass energy like marsh gas, for household solar energy, small-scale wind energy and small-scale hydraulic energy.
Consumer subsidies: 
People’s governments at or above the county level shall provide financial support for renewable energy utilization projects in rural areas.
Renewable Energy
RE priorities: 
The States gives first priority to the exploitation of renewable energy and promotes the establishment and expansion of the market for renewable energy by setting objectives for the total volumes of the renewable energy to be exploited and taking appropriate measures. The State encourages economic entities of various ownerships to participate in the exploitation of renewable energy and protects the lawful rights and interests of the exploiters of renewable energy in accordance with law. ---The State supports construction of independent system of power generated with renewable energy in areas not covered by power grids. ---The State encourages clean and efficient exploitation of biological fuel and the development of energy crops. Besides, the State also encourages units and individuals to install and use solar energy utilization systems, such as solar water-heating system, solar heating and cooling system and solar photovoltaic system.
RE action plans: 
The energy administration department under the State Council shall, on the basis of the demand for energy and the actual conditions of the renewable energy resources throughout the country, set medium-to-long term objectives for the total volumes of the renewable energy to be exploited nationwide, which shall be embarked on and released to the pubic upon approval by the State Council.---The administrative department for standardization under the State Council shall set and publish the technical standards of the State for grid-connected power generation with renewable energy and other standards of the State for the technology and products related to renewable energy, for which technical requirements need to be uniform throughout the country.
RE prioritization, portfolio standards: 
The power grid enterprise shall buy the entire quantity of the grid-connected power generated with renewable energy within their power grids coverage that has legal administrative license, and provide grid-connection services for the generation of power with renewable energy.
RE capital subsidy, grant, or rebate: 
The State establishes a special fund for the development of renewable energy in support of the following: (1) scientific and technological research, formulation of standards and demonstration engineering for the exploitation of renewable energy; (2) projects for the use of renewable energy in people’s daily lives in rural and pasturing areas; (3) construction of independent systems of power generated with renewable energy in outlying areas and on islands; (4) surveys, assessments of renewable energy resources, and construction of relevant information systems; and (5) promotion of localized production of equipment for exploitation of renewable energy.---Financial institutions may offer preferential loans with financial interest subsidy to projects for exploitation of renewable energy that are listed in the national development guidance catalogue of the renewable energy industry and meet the requirements for granting loans.
RE public awareness/promotional programmes: 
The administrative department for education under the State Council shall include knowledge and technology of renewable energy into the curriculum of general and vocational education.
Public investment loans or grants: 
Financial institutions may offer preferential loans with financial interest subsidy to projects for exploitation of renewable energy that are listed in the national development guidance catalogue of the renewable energy industry and meet the requirements for granting loans.
Mandatory connection: 
Where gas and heat produced with biological resources conform to the technical standards for connection with urban gas pipeline networks or heat pipeline networks, the enterprises operating gas pipeline networks and heat pipeline networks shall accept them into the networks.
Pricing
Energy pricing: 
Grid-connected power price of renewable energy power generation projects shall be determined by the price administration department under the State Council in light of the characteristics of power generated with different types of renewable energy and the conditions of different areas and on the principle that it is beneficial to the promotion of exploitation of renewable energy and that it is economically reasonable, and timely readjustment shall be made along with the development of technology for exploitation of renewable energy. The price for grid-connected power shall be made known to the public. The price of grid-connected power generated by renewable energy power projects decided on through bid invitation shall be the bid-winning price; however, it shall not exceed the price level of grid-connected power of similar renewable energy power generation projects determined in accordance with the provisions of the preceding paragraph. Where the expenses incurred by a power grid enterprise in the purchase of grid-connected power generated with renewable energy are in excess of the expenses for the purchase of grid-connected power generated with conventional energy, calculated at the average price, the difference shall be added to the selling price by way of sharing. The specific measures in this regard shall be formulated by the price administration department under the State Council.
Investment
Financial incentives for energy infrastructure: 
The State establishes a special fund for the development of renewable energy in support of the following: (1) scientific and technological research, formulation of standards and demonstration engineering for the exploitation of renewable energy; (2) projects for the use of renewable energy in people’s daily lives in rural and pasturing areas; (3) construction of independent systems of power generated with renewable energy in outlying areas and on islands; (4) surveys, assessments of renewable energy resources, and construction of relevant information systems; and (5) promotion of localized production of equipment for exploitation of renewable energy.
Independent power producers: 
State supports construction of independent system of power generated with renewable energy in areas not covered by power grids, so that power services shall be provided for local production and people’s daily needs.
Investment climate development: 
The State encourages economic entities of various ownerships to participate in the exploitation of renewable energy and protects the lawful rights and interests of the exploiters of renewable energy in accordance with law.
Governance
Energy institutional structures: 
The energy administration department under the State Council exercises unified control over the exploitation of renewable energy nationwide. The relevant departments under the State Council are responsible for administration of the work related to the exploitation of renewable energy within the limits of their respective duties. The energy administration departments of the local people’s governments at or above the county level are responsible for the administration of exploitation of renewable energy within their respective administrative areas. The relevant departments of the local people’s governments at or above the county level are responsible for administration of the work related to the exploitation of renewable energy within the limits of their respective duties.---The energy administration department under the State Council is responsible for organizing and coordinating surveys of renewable energy resources throughout the country, and work with the related departments under the State Council to lay down technical specifications for resources surveys.
Statistics collection and management: 
The energy administration department under the State Council is responsible for organizing and coordinating surveys of renewable energy resources throughout the country, and work with the related departments under the State Council to lay down technical specifications for resources surveys. Results shall of the survey of renewable energy shall be released to the public, except for the contents which should be kept confidential according to State regulation.
Technology
R&D renewable energy: 
In scientific and technological development and in the department of the hi-tech industries, the State gives first priority to scientific and technical research in, and the industrialized development of, exploitation of renewable energy, includes such research and development in the national plan for scientific and technological development and the development of the hi-tech industries, and allocates funds for scientific and technical research in, and application, demonstration and industrialized development of, the exploitation of renewable energy, so as to promote technical advancement in the exploitation of the same, reduce the production cost of renewable energy products and improve product quality.