Effective from January 1, 2025: China Energy Law
On November 8, the 12th meeting of the 14th National People's Congress Standing Committee voted to pass the "Energy Law of the People's Republic of China". This law has nine chapters, and its main contents include general principles, energy planning, energy development and utilization, energy market system, energy reserves and emergency response, energy science and technology innovation, supervision and management, legal liability, and supplementary provisions. It will come into effect on January 1, 2025
The Energy Law stipulates that in order to promote high-quality energy development, ensure national energy security, promote economic and social green and low-carbon transformation and sustainable development, actively and steadily promote carbon peak and carbon neutrality, and adapt to the needs of building a socialist modern country in an all-round way, the Energy Law shall be formulated in accordance with the Constitution.
The Energy Law is based on my country's energy resource endowment and is actually adapted to the new situation of energy development. It makes provisions at the legal level for major fundamental issues in the energy field. It is a fundamental and leading law in the energy field.
The Main Contents Include The Following 4 Points:
Clarify The Scope Of Energy And Include Hydrogen Energy In The New System
The Energy Law clarifies the definition of energy, covering coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear energy, hydropower, wind energy, solar energy, biomass energy, geothermal energy, ocean energy, as well as electricity, heat, hydrogen energy and other types. Among them, hydrogen energy has been clearly included in the energy management system for the first time, which is a major breakthrough. In the past, hydrogen was managed by emergency departments as a hazardous chemical, which to a certain extent restricted the development and widespread application of hydrogen energy. Today, the management of hydrogen energy as an energy source not only helps to eliminate the public's misunderstanding and excessive concerns about it, but also lays the foundation for its large-scale application in the future.
Promote Energy Transformation And New Changes In The Dual Control Mechanism
The Energy Law actively promotes the transformation of the dual control system of energy consumption to the dual control system of carbon emissions, establishes a new mechanism for the comprehensive transformation from the dual control of total energy consumption and intensity to the dual control of total carbon emissions and intensity, and accelerates the construction of a dual control system of total carbon emissions and intensity. This transformation will prompt my country's energy industry to pay more attention to green and low-carbon development, accelerate the process of replacing fossil energy with non-fossil energy, and is of great significance to achieving the goals of carbon peak and carbon neutrality.
Strengthen Energy Planning And Make The Development Blueprint Clearer
The Energy Law emphasizes the leading, guiding and normative role of energy planning in energy development. This will promote the development of my country's energy industry in a more orderly manner and avoid blind investment and duplicate construction. For example, in the field of renewable energy, the country will formulate scientific and reasonable development plans based on the resource endowments and development needs of different regions to promote the development and utilization of renewable energy such as wind energy, solar energy and hydropower.
Ensure Energy Security And Reserve a New Emergency System
Faced with the increasingly complex international energy situation and possible risks such as energy supply interruptions, the Energy Law has established an energy reserve and emergency system. This will ensure that in an emergency, my country can respond quickly and ensure a safe, stable and reliable supply of energy. At the same time, it also provides a legal basis for the reserve and emergency management of various types of energy, which will help improve my country's energy security capabilities.