Chinese top legislature passed Monday the Renewable Energy Law to ease the energy strain, secure the country's energy security and better protect ecological environment. The bill on renewable energy was deliberated a second time during the 14th session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) from Feb. 25 to 28.
Mao Rubai, director of the Environment and Resource Protection Committee of NPC, said China must vigorously develop renewable energy, because rapid economic development had caused energy shortages, heavy pollution and dependence on imported energy.
In 2003, China's renewable energy consumption accounted for only 3 percent of the country's total energy consumption. The government plans to lift up the figure to 10 percent in 2020.
According to the law, renewable energy includes hydroelectricity, wind power, solar energy, geothermal energy and marine energy, all of which should be taken consideration in the state and local development plans.
The law offered a series of favorable policies for developing renewable energy. For instance, the law demanded all state grids to purchase renewable energy, even though the cost is high. In this way, people's enthusiasm of developing renewable energy couldbe enhanced.
Source: CAS
Related stories:
The future of biofuels is not in corn
The future of biofuels is not in corn, says a new report released today by Food & Water Watch, the Network for New Energy Choices, and the Vermont Law School Institute for Energy and the Environment. The corn ethanol refinery industry, the beneficiary of new renewable fuel targets in the proposed energy legislation as well as proposed loan guarantee subsidies in the 2007 Farm Bill, will not significantly offset U.S. fossil fuel consumption without unacceptable environmental and economic consequences.
40% efficient solar cells to be used for solar electricity
Scientists from Spectrolab, Inc., a subsidiary of Boeing, have recently published their research on the fabrication of solar cells that surpass the 40% efficiency milestone—the highest efficiency achieved for any photovoltaic device. Their results appear in a recent edition of Applied Physics Letters.
Wind power a vexing question for Vermont
(AP) -- When farmer Greg Bryant first heard about plans for windmills along a swath of mountain ridges in this northeastern Vermont hamlet, he was all for it. The idea of tapping a plentiful natural resource for power was appealing.
Solar plant to be built in Nevada
Construction of a 300-acre solar power plant, believed to be the largest built anywhere in the world, is expected to begin in Nevada.
From photovoltaics to solar thermal collectors: Evaluating and improving green design
Relatively few good examples exist of buildings that have excellent energy performance. Often "green buildings" are developed and publicized, but then actual energy functioning is not reported, sometimes because performance is less than anticipated. Having inhabited its new green headquarters for the first year, The Woods Hole Research Center is addressing those issues by tracking, and making publicly available, information on the performance of its building.
Greece's Largest Solar Roof in Athens Installed for Olympic Games
In time for the
Olympic Games RWE SCHOTT Solar has begun operation of the country’s largest rooftop
solar-energy unit in Athens. Supported by its Greek and German partners, this will help the company to further strengthen its market position in Greece.
Scientists view both Obama, McCain as supportive
(AP) -- Call it the political revenge of the nerds. For nearly eight years, many mainstream scientists have been frustrated with the Bush administration. They've claimed that science has been censored, ignored and politicized on issues from global warming to stem cells to evolution. Even the presidential science adviser was booted from the White House, forced to set up office down the street.
FDA will look into scientist's possible conflict
(AP) -- Federal health officials said Tuesday they will look into a possible conflict of interest involving a prominent toxicologist who is heading up a review of a sensitive safety issue.