Building a Clean, Low-Carbon, Safe, and Efficient New Energy System
June 27, 2026 09:03 | Source: Guangming Daily
The "15th Five-Year Plan for New Energy System Construction" was released recently. The main goal of the plan is to initially establish a clean, low-carbon, safe, and efficient new energy system by 2030. The comprehensive energy production capacity will reach 5.8 billion tons of standard coal, with independent supply capacity steadily improving and energy imports diversifying and controllable. Coal and oil consumption will peak, and the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption will reach 25%.
"I believe that after five years of continuous efforts, a new energy system with stronger security resilience, better energy structure, updated system form, and greater innovation vitality will take shape faster, laying a solid foundation for building a strong energy country," said Wang Hongzhi, a member of the Party Leadership Group of the National Development and Reform Commission and Director of the National Energy Administration, at a press conference for the series theme "Start of the '15th Five-Year Plan'" held by the State Council Information Office on June 26.
Specifically, China's installed power generation capacity has exceeded 4 billion kilowatts, and it is expected to reach 5.4 billion kilowatts by 2030, of which the proportion of new energy installed capacity will exceed 50%, becoming the main body of installed power. The proportion of non-fossil energy power generation will reach 50%, becoming the main body of electricity. The energy system form will be updated, accelerating the construction of a strong, resilient, green, low-carbon, integrated, intelligent, and efficient new energy infrastructure system, and initially building a new power system. The market and pricing mechanisms adapted to the new energy system will be more complete, and a unified national electricity market will be basically established.
China will adhere to the principle of "national chessboard" to coordinate and optimize energy layout and flow. Focusing on large-scale non-fossil energy development, it will create "four bases + distributed" five growth sectors, including the "Three Norths" wind and solar bases and the Southwest hydropower and solar integrated bases. Focusing on consolidating fossil energy production, it will clearly build key oil and gas strategic guarantee bases such as the Ordos Basin, and optimize the construction of five major coal production bases. Focusing on optimizing backbone channel layout, it will strengthen the construction of energy transmission "arteries" such as West-to-East power transmission and West-to-East gas transmission.
"During the '15th Five-Year Plan' period, while expanding 'West-to-East energy transmission', we must vigorously advance 'West-for-West energy use'. We will guide high-energy-consuming industries to shift westward in an orderly manner. In the future, the western regions will not only send electricity, coal, and gas outward, but also send products and tokens outward," pointed out Wan Jinsong, spokesperson for the National Energy Administration and Deputy Director.
Achieving the carbon peak on schedule is China's commitment to the international community. Currently, energy sector emissions account for over 80% of carbon dioxide emissions, making it the main battlefield for emission reduction. Ren Yuzhi, spokesperson for the National Energy Administration and Director of the Development Planning Department, stated that during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, greater efforts and more concrete measures will be taken to accelerate low-carbon transformation, making green a distinctive background for high-quality development. In terms of development goals, five strengthened indicators have been set around transformation and carbon reduction. Among them, three indicators—the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption, the proportion of non-fossil energy power generation, and the proportion of electricity in terminal energy consumption—are continuations of the "14th Five-Year Plan" indicators, but with higher targets. At the same time, two new indicators have been set: one is carbon emissions per unit of electricity generation, with the target of a reduction of over 10% during the "15th Five-Year Plan", a comprehensive indicator reflecting the green transformation and efficiency improvement of China's power system; the other is the energy savings indicator for key industries, which is expected to save more than 150 million tons of standard coal during the "15th Five-Year Plan" through energy-saving and carbon-reduction transformation and technological innovation.
"It is estimated that during the '15th Five-Year Plan', investment in key energy projects and new business forms will maintain steady growth, with a total scale exceeding 20 trillion yuan," Wang Hongzhi said. The energy plan for the "15th Five-Year Plan" includes both "big" projects for energy production and transmission, and "new" projects that reflect new energy productive forces.
On the one hand, a number of major strategic projects will be implemented. Key projects such as the hydropower in the lower reaches of the Yalong River will be promoted with high quality. New energy bases in the Gobi and desert areas, integrated hydropower and solar base, and offshore wind power bases will be constructed. Coastal nuclear power will be actively and safely advanced in an orderly manner. The construction of infrastructure such as the "national one network" for oil and gas and the new power grid will be coordinated. On the other hand, new industries and new business forms projects will be actively built. The electric vehicle charging facility network will be upgraded and improved. Integrated wind-solar-hydrogen-ammonia-methanol bases will be laid out and constructed. Solar thermal power projects will be built. The development of direct green power connection and smart microgrids will be promoted. A number of zero-carbon industrial parks will be built.
Wang Hongzhi introduced that in response to the internal and external situation of energy development, around security assurance, low-carbon transformation, and innovation development, the construction of the new energy system during the "15th Five-Year Plan" has planned "three priorities".
The first priority is to strengthen oil and gas security. Domestic production will be strengthened, and oil and gas exploration and development will be vigorously promoted. International cooperation will be strengthened, and diversified oil and gas imports will be consolidated and expanded. The development of new energy will be increased, and strategic layout of multiple alternative fuels will be strengthened. The large-scale application of new energy heavy trucks and ships will be promoted.
The second priority is to strengthen the construction of new power grids. The new power grid is one of the "six networks" that are highly concerned by society. China will optimize the layout of cross-provincial and cross-regional transmission channels, strengthen the coordinated construction and operation of all levels of power grids, and build a safe, reliable, green, low-carbon, strong, resilient, intelligent, and flexible main-distribution-micro coordinated new power grid.
The third priority is to promote the two-way empowerment of AI and energy. The "AI +" energy action will be deeply implemented, and the digital and intelligent transformation of the energy system will be accelerated. At the same time, the coordinated development of computing and electricity will be strengthened, and energy resource allocation and computing facility construction will be coordinated to promote electricity-based computing and computing-based electricity.
(By Zhang Yi)
