On April 23, the Energy Law of the people's Republic of China (draft) (hereinafter referred to as the draft) was submitted to the standing Committee of the 14th National people's Congress for deliberation. The draft is based on the reality of China's energy and resources endowment, adapts to the new situation of energy development, and makes provisions at the legal level on major fundamental issues in the energy field.

Li Chunlin, vice minister of the National Development and Reform Commission, gave an explanation on the proposal to submit a draft energy law for consideration.

Li Chunlin pointed out: since the beginning of reform and opening up, especially since the beginning of the new era, China has made historic achievements in energy development, providing a strong support and guarantee for high-quality development.

At the same time, China's energy development is still facing a rapid increase in consumption, increasing pressure on supply security, the adjustment of energy structure has not yet been put in place, and the level of clean and efficient utilization needs to be improved. there are many problems and challenges, such as the imperfect energy market system, the weak construction of reserve system, the deficiency of scientific and technological innovation and so on.

In particular, the external environment of energy supply security is becoming more complex and severe, and unstable and uncertain factors are increasing. To effectively deal with the above problems and challenges, there is an urgent need to further improve the energy legal system and play a positive role in strengthening the foundation, stabilizing expectations and long-term benefits of the rule of law.

China has formulated a number of single-line energy laws and regulations, such as the Electric Power Law, the Coal Law, the Energy Saving Law, the Renewable Energy Law and the regulations on Urban Gas Management, but there is still a lack of a basic and dominant law in the energy field.

The formulation of energy law on the basis of single-line energy laws and regulations is an important measure to strengthen legislation in key areas, and is of great significance to promote the development of high-quality energy and ensure national energy security.

The Energy Law of the people's Republic of China (draft) consists of nine chapters and 69 articles, the main contents include eight aspects: general principles and adherence to the leadership of the Party, improving the energy planning system, improving the energy development and utilization system, strengthening the construction of the energy market system, improving the energy reserve system and emergency system, strengthening the innovation of energy science and technology, strengthening supervision and management, and clarifying legal responsibilities.

The draft clearly conforms to the definition of energy in this Law: all kinds of resources that obtain useful energy directly or through processing or conversion, including coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear power, hydropower, biomass energy, wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, ocean energy, as well as electricity, heat, hydrogen energy and so on.

It is also pointed out that the purpose of this law is to promote high-quality energy development, ensure national energy security, promote economic and social green and low-carbon transformation and sustainable development, actively and steadily promote carbon neutralization, to meet the needs of building a modern socialist country in an all-round way.

In terms of improving the energy planning system, the draft defines the main body, basis, requirements, main contents, convergence relations, approval, publication, implementation evaluation and revision procedures of energy planning at all levels.

In terms of improving the system of energy development and utilization, the draft provides for the following six aspects:

The first is to make clear the direction of energy restructuring. We will support giving priority to the development of renewable energy, rational development and clean and efficient use of fossil energy, and orderly promotion of non-fossil energy to replace fossil energy and low-carbon energy to replace high-carbon energy.

The second is to clarify the policy of energy development and utilization. The basic policy orientations for the development and utilization of renewable energy, hydropower, nuclear power, coal, oil and natural gas are stipulated respectively.

The third is to promote clean, efficient and intensive use of energy. Improve the level of clean, efficient and intelligent terminal energy consumption, establish a green energy consumption promotion mechanism, require energy users to use energy reasonably, and relevant government departments strengthen energy demand side management. The fourth is to ensure basic energy supply services.

Power, gas, heat and other energy supply enterprises are required to ensure users' access to safe, sustainable and reliable energy supply services.

Fifth, strengthen the construction and protection of energy infrastructure.

Strengthen the coordination of trans-provincial energy infrastructure construction, require energy transmission network facilities operators to improve the level of operational safety, no unit or individual shall engage in activities that endanger the safety of energy infrastructure.

The sixth is to promote the development of rural energy. Encourage and support energy development in rural areas and co-ordinate the construction of urban and rural energy infrastructure and public service systems.

In terms of strengthening the construction of the energy market system, the draft stipulates that the state will promote the separate operation of natural monopoly business and competitive business in the energy field, coordinate and promote the construction of a unified national energy trading market, require the facilities of energy transmission network to be fair and open to qualified subjects, encourage the coordinated development of upstream and downstream enterprises in the energy field, and promote the whole industrial chain in coordination. We will promote the establishment of an energy price formation mechanism mainly determined by market factors, improve the energy price regulation system, and promote international investment and trade cooperation in the energy field.

In terms of improving the energy reserve system and emergency system, the draft points out that it is necessary to establish and improve an efficient and cooperative energy reserve system, determine the type, scale and mode of energy reserves scientifically and rationally, and implement the combination of government reserves and enterprise reserves. physical reserves, capacity reserves and mineral land reserves as a whole The government reserve holding and operating institutions should establish and improve the internal management system to ensure the safety of government reserves, and energy enterprises should implement the responsibility of social reserves; establish and improve the energy prediction and early warning system, strengthen the construction of energy emergency system, formulate energy emergency plans, and improve emergency measures.

In terms of strengthening energy scientific and technological innovation, the draft proposes to encourage and support the research, development, demonstration, popularization and application of major basic, key and frontier technologies and equipment in the energy field, formulate and improve industrial, financial and government procurement policies, encourage and guide social funds to invest in energy science and technology innovation. Establish a major energy science and technology innovation platform, rely on major energy projects to focus on tackling key scientific and technological problems and integrated application demonstration, support the application of advanced information technology, and strengthen the training of energy science and technology professionals.