China in mid-September increased its renewable portfolio standard (RPS) to 35% of electricity consumption by 2030. The country has already heavily invested in wind and solar, and it anticipates more gains will come from some provinces.
In a revision of an initial draft plan published this March, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) also mandated six new entity categories that must meet the renewables obligation. The entities include provincial power grid companies owned by the State Grid Corp. of China—the largest utility company in the world—and Southern Power Grid, both which are government-owned; local power grid companies owned by provincial local governments; electricity retail companies with distribution grid operation permits; independent power retail companies; consumers participating in direct trading; and companies with captive power plants that purchase power through public power grids.
