Energy-saving power generation dispatching in China: Regulations, pilot projects and policy recommendations—A review

Environmental protection and climate change have become one of the most important issues of great concern. Consequently, improving energy efficiency and developing renewable energy have also become the fundamental energy policies of all countries around the world. China has put forward the ambitious goal to speed up the construction of the resource conserving and environmentally friendly society. In Copenhagen Global Warming Summit, held in November 2009, China made a solemn commitment: by 2020, the CO2 emissions per unit of GDP (i.e. carbon intensity) will decrease by 40% to 45% compared with that in 2005. Therefore, increasing energy efficiency, reducing energy consumption and protecting environment will undoubtedly become the urgent task in China, hence energy saving and emission reduction prove to be the developing trend. The Energy Saving Power Generation Dispatching (ESPGD) Measures (trial) printed by National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) was required to carry out energy saving power generation dispatching, so as to maximize the environmental benefits which the renewable energy and other clean energy create, minimize the energy consumption and pollutant emissions, and promote the secure, efficient and clean electric power system. The implementation of ESPGD is facing enormous challenges both in technology and in regulations. How to realize the balance among energy conservation, environmental protection and economic efficiency under the premise of secure and stable system operation, and how to promote the effective implementation through the policy measures, are the key problems to be resolved urgently for China to thoroughly carry out ESPGD. This paper introduces the concept of ESPGD, elaborates the influences of ESPGD on the entire electric power industry, discusses the situation and comparison of ESPGD in the pilot provinces, and puts forward technical and policy suggestions for the effective implementation of ESPGD.