China will force regional grid firms to buy at least 40% of power from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030 in order to meet the country’s climate targets, according to a new government document seen by Reuters.
Grid companies will steadily increase the amount of power purchased from clean generation sources from 28.2% in 2020 to 40% by 2030, according to a draft policy from the National Energy Administration (NEA), verified by a person with direct knowledge of the matter.
President Xi Jinping pledged last year to make China “carbon neutral” by 2060, and said in December it would boost the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to around 25% by 2030 from a previous commitment of 20%.
“To ensure President Xi’s climate targets…(China) will set more stringent targets for non-fossil fuel consumption,” the NEA document said.
Power procured from non-hydropower renewable sources will reach a minimum of 25.9% by 2030, up from 10.8% last year, according to the draft plan, which has been opened up for consultation with stakeholders until Feb. 26.
The targets suggest China will rely on solar and wind to meet its renewable goals, and move away from the construction boom of large-scale hydroelectric projects in recent years.
In December, Xi also said that China will boost its installed capacity of wind and solar power to more than 1,200 gigawatts (GW) by 2030…
