Release of the 15th Five-Year Plan for the Development of a New Energy System

Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the National Energy Administration issued the 15th Five-Year Plan for the Development of a New Energy System. The Plan sets a target of basically establishing a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient new energy system by 2030.

The Plan outlines the core targets for building the new energy system during the 15th Five-Year Plan period:

The comprehensive energy production capacity will reach 5.8 billion tons of standard coal; the power system’s capacity for complementary operation, mutual support, safety and resilience will be fully upgraded; energy imports will feature diversified and controllable supply sources.
Coal and oil consumption will peak; the share of non-fossil energy consumption will rise to 25%. Wind and solar power installed capacity will account for over 50% of total power installed capacity and become the mainstay of power installations; non-fossil energy power generation will make up 50% of total electricity output and become the primary source of power supply.
Construction of a robust, resilient, green, low-carbon, integrated, interconnected, smart and efficient new energy infrastructure system will be accelerated, with a new power system initially put in place.
China will achieve overall independent and controllable supply of key technologies and equipment across the energy industrial chain, and rank among the world’s leading nations in energy science and technology innovation.
Market and pricing mechanisms compatible with the new energy system will be rapidly improved, and a nationwide unified power market system will be basically completed.

In terms of spatial layout, the Plan adheres to the principle of “coordinated national planning”. It balances energy development with economic growth, aggregate volume with structural adjustment, national development with regional deployment, and domestic supply with international cooperation. It will foster five major growth zones for non-fossil energy supply, consolidate and optimize fossil energy production bases, boost coordinated layout of energy exploitation and energy-intensive industries, coordinate and optimize the layout of major energy transmission corridors, and continuously expand diversified energy import channels.

The Plan proposes to build six major systems:

An advanced and adaptive new energy infrastructure system;
A robust and resilient energy security guarantee system;
A green and low-carbon energy consumption system;
A self-reliant energy science and technology innovation system;
A coordinated and efficient modern energy governance system;
A multi-dimensional and diversified energy international cooperation system.