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3 - Promoting Large-Scale Deployment and Integration of Renewable Electricity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 December 2021

Henry Lee ,
Daniel P. Schrag ,
Matthew Bunn ,
Michael Davidson ,
Wei Peng ,
Wang Pu  and
Mao Zhimin
By
Wei Peng ,
Zhimin Mao  and
Michael R. Davidson
Henry Lee
Affiliation:
Harvard University, Massachusetts
Daniel P. Schrag
Affiliation:
Harvard University, Massachusetts
Matthew Bunn
Affiliation:
Harvard University, Massachusetts
Michael Davidson
Affiliation:
University of California, San Diego
Wei Peng
Affiliation:
Penn State University
Wang Pu
Affiliation:
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing
Mao Zhimin
Affiliation:
Harvard University, Massachusetts
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Summary

Increasing the scale of renewable integration is a key component of China’s decarbonization strategy. While the immediate challenge is to reduce renewable curtailment and increase its penetration, mitigating climate change in the long term will require a transition from an electricity system dominated by coal to one that consists primarily of renewables. This chapter summarizes the current governance structure and policies for renewable energy development and integration in China. It identifies two key considerations for China to transition towards large-scale penetration of renewables: geographic mismatch between renewable resources and demand centers, and concerns associated with integrating high penetration of intermittent renewable energy resources. Responding to these considerations, this chapter discusses four foundational elements that China needs to put in place in the near term to plan for the longer-term transition: flexible conventional generators, an appropriately large and more integrated transmission network, storage technology development, and demand-side flexibility/responsiveness.

Keywords

Large-scale renewable energy Integrationrenewable penetrationlong-distance transmission linespower system flexibilitystorage technology developmentdemand-side flexibility
Type
Chapter
Information
Foundations for a Low-Carbon Energy System in China , pp. 39 - 64
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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