Legislators inspect enforcement of renewable energy law

A delegation of China's top legislature has finished inspecting how the country's Law on Renewable Energy is enforced in northwestern Gansu Province, a major producer and user of wind and solar power. The delegation, led by Chen Changzhi, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC), visited industrial parks and wind and photovoltaic power plants in several cities in Gansu between June 17 and 20. Innovation should be encouraged in developing renewable energy, and infrastructure layout and relevant policies should be improved, Chen said, adding that the full-amount purchase system for electricity generated by renewable energy should be well implemented. Under the full-amount purchase system, the government commits to buying all electricity generated by renewable energy. These efforts will contribute to environmental improvement and social and economic development, he said. The Law on Renewable Energy, which was adopted by the Standing Committee of the 10th NPC in February 2005, was revised by the Standing Committee of the 11th NPC in December 2009. This month's tour represents the first time the law has been subjected to a nationwide inspection. Besides the delegation to Gansu, another two groups have been sent to north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and east China's Jiangsu Province for the inspection, which is intended to spur healthy growth in the renewable energy sector, according to the NPC. Assessing the implementation of laws is an important way for the top legislature to exercise supervision. China has been promoting the use of renewable energy due to growing energy demand and environmental concerns. In 2012, China consumed 3.62 billion tonnes of standard coal equivalent, up 3.9 percent year on year, official data showed. A report released by the China National Petroleum Corporation indicated that China depends on imports for 56.6 percent of its crude oil and 29 percent of its natural gas.