China Enacts the Energy Law 中国颁布《能源法》

The Energy Law provides regulations on various aspects, including the definition of energy, energy planning, development and utilization of different types of energy, energy market systems, energy reserves and emergencies, and energy technology innovation. Considering that China already has legislation related to energy, such as the "Renewable Energy Law," "Electric Power Law," "Coal Law," "Nuclear Safety Law," and "Energy Conservation Law," the position of the Energy Law within the energy legal system and its relationship with other relevant legislation are noteworthy.

We believe that the Energy Law and the aforementioned laws are all laws passed by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and have the same legal effect. Although the Renewable Energy Law, Electric Power Law, and other existing laws are special laws within their scope of adjustment, if the Energy Law updates or imposes stricter requirements on the content of the aforementioned laws, the principle of applying the later law over the earlier one should be followed. For matters not regulated by the Energy Law, the existing laws shall continue to be implemented.

本次《能源法》从能源的定义、能源规划、不同能源开发和利用、能源市场体系、能源储备和应急、能源科技创新等方面都做出了规定。相应地，考虑到此前我国已经存在《可再生能源法》《电力法》《煤炭法》《核安全法》《节约能源法》等能源相关的立法，且也多少涉及了上述方面，本次《能源法》在能源法律体系中的地位及与其他相关立法的关系应值得关注。

我们认为，《能源法》与前述法律都是全国人大常委会通过的法律，在效力层级上相同。尽管《可再生能源法》《电力法》等前述现有法律在其所调整范围内属于特别法，但《能源法》中如存在对于前述法律规定内容进行更新或更严要求之处，应遵循后法优于先法的原则进行适用。对于《能源法》未规定的事项，则应继续执行在先法律。

According to the definition in the Energy Law, energy refers to various resources that provide useful energy directly or through processing and conversion, including coal, petroleum, natural gas, nuclear energy, hydro energy, wind energy, solar energy, biomass energy, geothermal energy, ocean energy, and electricity, heat, hydrogen energy, etc. In the Energy Law, energy is classified into fossil energy, non-fossil energy, and other forms of energy (electricity, heat, hydrogen energy). Fossil energy includes coal, petroleum, natural gas, etc., which are energy sources formed from ancient plants and animal fossils through geological processes. Non-fossil energy includes nuclear energy and renewable energy. Nuclear energy refers to energy released through nuclear reactions, while renewable energy refers to energy that can be continuously supplemented and regenerated through natural processes in a relatively short period, including wind energy, solar energy, hydro energy, biomass energy, geothermal energy, ocean energy, etc. Biomass energy specifically refers to energy transformed from plants and urban and rural organic waste through biological, chemical, or physical processes. The Energy Law specifically lists electricity, heat, and hydrogen energy as components of energy and defines hydrogen energy as energy released through chemical reactions involving hydrogen as an energy carrier.

It is worth noting that although nuclear energy can also be continuously supplemented in a short period, nuclear energy does not belong to renewable energy, and hydrogen energy is listed separately from nuclear energy. The current hydrogen energy should refer to the combustion of hydrogen and does not include energy produced by nuclear fusion.

根据《能源法》的定义，能源是指直接或者通过加工、转换而取得有用能的各种资源，包括煤炭、石油、天然气、核能、水能、风能、太阳能、生物质能、地热能、海洋能以及电力、热力、氢能等。在《能源法》中，能源被分类为化石能源、非化石能源及其他能量（电力、热力、氢能）。化石能源包括煤炭、石油、天然气等，这些能源是由远古动植物化石经地质作用演变成的能源。非化石能源包括核能和可再生能源。核能是指通过核反应释放的能量，而可再生能源是指能够在较短时间内通过自然过程不断补充和再生的能源，具体包括风能、太阳能、水能、生物质能、地热能、海洋能等，其中生物质能是指利用自然界的植物和城乡有机废物通过生物、化学或者物理过程转化成的能源。《能源法》特别将电力、热力、氢能列举为能源的构成部分，并将氢能定义为是指氢作为能量载体进行化学反应释放出的能量。

值得注意的是，由于核能的发电稳定，尽管核能也可以在短时间内不断补充，但核能并不属于可再生能源，而氢能也与核能并列，且氢能被描述为进行化学反应释放的能量，因此目前的氢能应当指燃烧氢而不包括核聚变产生的能量。

In the general provisions of the Energy Law, it is particularly emphasized to implement a new energy security strategy that promotes energy consumption, supply, technology, and system revolutions, as well as comprehensive international cooperation. The strategy insists on a domestic focus, diversified guarantees, priority for conservation, and green development, aiming to accelerate the construction of a clean, low-carbon, and safe and efficient new energy system. Green energy is a significant highlight of the Energy Law, providing many supplements to the Renewable Energy Law, which has not been revised for 15 years since 2009.

It should be noted that the Renewable Energy Law stipulated that the state implements a full guarantee system for the purchase of renewable energy generation, requiring grid companies to fully purchase the on-grid electricity of renewable energy generation projects that meet grid connection technical standards within their grid coverage. The difference between the on-grid electricity tariff of renewable energy and the benchmark electricity tariff is compensated through the renewable energy electricity tariff surcharge. At the same time, the law also imposes strict compensation liability on grid companies. However, due to well-known reasons, this provision has not been implemented in practice in a timely manner. With the cost reduction brought about by the development of the renewable energy industry, the electricity tariff of renewable energy generation projects has declined, and the financial models for new projects basically no longer consider the factor of renewable energy electricity tariff surcharge compensation.

In contrast, the Energy Law specifically stipulates on the basis of the obligations set for grid companies in the Renewable Energy Law, "The state improves the renewable energy power consumption guarantee mechanism. Power supply companies, electricity selling companies, relevant electricity users, and enterprises using self-generated power plants shall bear the responsibility of consuming renewable energy power generation according to national regulations." This provision may imply that future reforms to the on-grid electricity tariff and user-side electricity tariff systems are anticipated.

Additionally, for renewable energy, the Energy Law explicitly incorporates the state's implementation of a green energy consumption promotion mechanism through renewable energy green electricity certificates and other systems into the law, indicating that the green certificate trading system, CCER systems and other systems will continue to exist stably in the long term and constitute an essential part of the financial models of energy industry-related enterprises.

The Energy Law also provides good news for the renewable energy industry with its provisions on building a new type of power system, strengthening the coordinated construction of power sources and grids, promoting the intelligent transformation of grid infrastructure, and smart micro-grid construction, enhancing the grid's ability to accept, allocate, and regulate renewable energy.

在《能源法》总则中特别提出，要实施推动能源消费革命、能源供给革命、能源技术革命、能源体制革命和全方位加强国际合作的能源安全新战略，坚持立足国内、多元保障、节约优先、绿色发展，加快构建清洁低碳、安全高效的新型能源体系。绿色能源是本次《能源法》中的一大亮点，为2009年至今15年尚未修订的《可再生能源法》进行了很多补充。

需要注意的是，在《可再生能源法》中曾规定国家实行可再生能源发电全额保障性收购制度，电网企业应当全额收购其电网覆盖范围内符合并网技术标准的可再生能源并网发电项目的上网电量，并通过可再生能源电价附加补偿对可再生能源上网电价与标杆电价之间的差额进行补偿，同时该法还对电网企业规定了较为严格的赔偿责任。但由于众所周知的原因，这一规定在实践中并未得到及时落实。随着可再生能源产业发展带来的成本下降，可再生能源发电项目电价退坡、竞价上网，对新项目而言其财务模型已基本不考虑可再生能源电价附加补偿的因素。

而在《能源法》中，则特别在《可再生能源法》为电网企业设定义务的基础上，规定“国家完善可再生能源电力消纳保障机制。供电企业、售电企业、相关电力用户和使用自备电厂供电的企业等应当按照国家有关规定，承担消纳可再生能源发电量的责任。” 这一规定也许意味着未来对于上网电价和用户侧电价制度会进行新的改革。

另外，对于可再生能源，《能源法》将国家通过实施可再生能源绿色电力证书等制度建立绿色能源消费促进机制明确写进法律，这标志着绿证交易、CCER等制度将长期、稳定存续并构成能源行业相关企业财务模型的重要部分。

《能源法》关于构建新型电力系统，加强电源电网协同建设，推进电网基础设施智能化改造和智能微电网建设，提高电网对可再生能源的接纳、配置和调控能力的规定，对于可再生能源行业也是一个较好的消息。

Although the Petroleum Reserves Regulations and the Emergency Response Law have mentioned the concept of energy reserves before, the Energy Law is the first to propose the overall concept and systematic arrangements for energy reserves in the form of law, proposing a combination of government and enterprise reserves, and the overall planning of physical reserves, production capacity reserves, and mineral site reserves. Government reserves include central government reserves and local government reserves, while enterprise reserves include enterprise social responsibility reserves and other enterprise production and operation stocks.

Energy reserves and energy diversification and decentralization are requirements for energy security. Renewable energy is an important part of energy security, and many renewable energy projects are also related to distributed, energy storage, off-grid, and micro-grid systems. The Energy Law proposes that the state should accelerate the construction of a new type of power system, strengthen the coordinated construction of power sources and grids, promote the intelligent transformation of grid infrastructure, and smart micro-grid construction in terms of hardware. In terms of business models, it encourages the development of distributed energy and multi-energy complementary, multi-energy joint supply comprehensive energy services, as well as contract energy management and other businesses. In terms of innovation requirements, it encourages and supports the research, development, demonstration, promotion, application, and industrialization of basic, key, and cutting-edge major technologies, equipment, and related new materials in the fields of energy resource exploration and development, clean and efficient use of fossil energy, renewable energy development and utilization, safe use of nuclear energy, hydrogen energy development and utilization, and energy storage and conservation.

On the one hand, these provisions are beneficial to the development of the renewable energy industry. On the other hand, they also indicate that energy companies need to accelerate the transformation from capital-intensive to knowledge-intensive enterprises, and the demand for intellectual property law by energy companies cannot be overstated.

尽管此前《石油储备条例》和《突发事件应对法》提到过能源储备的概念，但《能源法》首次以法律的形式专门提出了能源储备的整体概念和系统性安排，提出了实行政府储备和企业储备相结合，实物储备和产能储备、矿产地储备相统筹的要求，政府储备包括中央政府储备和地方政府储备，企业储备包括企业社会责任储备和企业其他生产经营库存。

能源储备与能源多样化、分散化都是能源安全的要求。可再生能源是能源安全的重要一环，很多可再生能源项目也都与分布式、储能、离网、微网等相关。《能源法》在硬件上提出国家要加快构建新型电力系统，加强电源电网协同建设，推进电网基础设施智能化改造和智能微电网建设，在商业模式上鼓励发展分布式能源和多能互补、多能联供综合能源服务以及合同能源管理等业务，在创新要求方面鼓励和支持能源资源勘探开发、化石能源清洁高效利用、可再生能源开发利用、核能安全利用、氢能开发利用以及储能、节约能源等领域基础性、关键性和前沿性重大技术、装备及相关新材料的研究、开发、示范、推广应用和产业化发展。

一方面这些规定有利于可再生能源行业的发展，另一方面也说明能源企业要加速完成从资本密集型到智力密集型企业的转变，能源企业对知识产权法律的需求怎么强调都不为过。

The Energy Law proposes a new energy security strategy that strengthens international cooperation in all aspects, clearly stating that the state actively promotes international investment and trade cooperation in the energy field and effectively prevents and responds to international energy market risks. Article 78 stipulates that if any country or region takes discriminatory prohibitions, restrictions, or other similar measures against the People's Republic of China in the renewable energy industry or other energy fields, the People's Republic of China can take corresponding measures against that country or region according to the actual situation. Article 79 states that organizations and individuals outside the People's Republic of China who commit acts that endanger the national energy security of the People's Republic of China shall be held legally responsible.

In addition to mentioning international cooperation from the perspective of energy security, the Energy Law also stipulates the priority application of international conventions that China has joined. Article 77 stipulates: If there are different provisions in the international treaties related to energy that the People's Republic of China has concluded or participated in compared with this law, the provisions of the international treaties shall prevail, except for the clauses that the People's Republic of China has reserved. However, it remains to be further studied whether this provision means that the relevant international conventions can be directly applied in China or still need to go through a special transformation procedure by the National People's Congress before they can be applied.

《能源法》提出全方位加强国际合作的能源安全新战略，明确国家积极促进能源领域国际投资和贸易合作，有效防范和应对国际能源市场风险。在第七十八条规定，任何国家或者地区在可再生能源产业或者其他能源领域对中华人民共和国采取歧视性的禁止、限制或者其他类似措施的，中华人民共和国可以根据实际情况对该国家或者该地区采取相应的措施。在第七十九条 中华人民共和国境外的组织和个人实施危害中华人民共和国国家能源安全行为的，依法追究法律责任。

除从能源安全的角度提及国际合作外，《能源法》还规定了我国加入的国际公约的优先适用。第七十七条规定：中华人民共和国缔结或者参加的涉及能源的国际条约与本法有不同规定的，适用国际条约的规定，但中华人民共和国声明保留的条款除外。但这一条规定究竟意味着相关国际公约可以直接在我国适用，还是说仍然需要经过全国人大专门的转化程序后再适用，尚有待进一步研究。