Coal Power Transition in China: Goals and Pathways during the 14th Five Year Plan Period

2021-06-10

Despite progress in its transition to low carbon energy, China continues to lead the world in building new coal power plants. This makes the 14th Five Year Plan a critical window for transitioning away from coal power to meet its carbon peaking and neutrality targets. To help decision-makers identify coal power transition goals and pathways, NRDC and North China Electric Power University  released the Report on Coal Consumption Control Policy for the Electric Power Sector During the 14th Five Year Plan on June 10. The report recommends that China limit its coal power capacity to no more than 1100 GW by 2025 and quickly expand its renewable energy capacity, both to meet growing power demand and to help China peak its carbon emissions before 2030. Policymakers, industry experts, and corporate representatives joined a panel session to discuss difficulties like the business transition and to exchange ideas about solutions like power storage and eliminating outdated capacity. The panelists included Rongchun Bai, former inspector at the NDRC Energy Bureau , Lipin Jiang, Vice President of the State Grid Energy Research Institute, Weidong Zhang, the division chief from the China Electricity Council, and Wenxuan Han, Deputy Chief Economist of China Huaneng Group, one of China’s five largest state-owned power generators. The report’s recommendations were covered by some of the most influential media in China, such as Xinhua News Agency, and China News Service, as well as top-tier industrial media, such as China Energy News, China Electric Power News, and China Industry News. 

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