RCR Special Issue: Clean Power Transition in China

China is now the largest power producer and consumer in the world. The coal-dominating fuel mix makes its power sector an important source for both CO₂ and environmental pollutants. Coal supplies three quarters of China’s electricity production, followed by hydropower, wind, nuclear, natural gas/biomass, and solar energy. Coal-fired power plants have been critical for meeting China’s electricity demand and powering the economic growth, while they also lead to environmental challenges such as severe air and water pollution, climate change, and resource exploitation. The unprecedented and unacceptable environmental crises decry a grand, urgent transition of China’s power sector to reduce pollution, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and enhance efficiencies. Potential solutions include fuel switch, end-of-the-pipe removal of pollutants, energy efficiency improvement and resource conservation. Various policy instruments are in the toolbox for being applied in practice. To explore the current scientific understanding of power generation, environmental challenges, and potential solutions in China, this special issue puts together a comprehensive set of articles including reviews, cutting-edge researches, and critical commentaries.

The editors have worked together with the reviewers to go through the peer-review process and select 14 papers to be included in this special issues, covering important topics on resources assessment, environmental implications, emerging technologies, and future prospects of China’s clean power transition. Built from their own research experiences, the editors firstly share comments on the current status and demanding areas for future research on China’s clean power transition (He et al., 2017). Li et al. study the prospects of China's long-term economic development and CO₂ emissions under fossil fuel supply constraints (Li et al., 2017a). Hui Zhang et al. use an adaptive agent-based analysis to study emissions trading and technology adoption in China (Zhang et al., 2017). Liu et al. study the economic potential of onshore wind resources (Liu et al., 2017). Bin Ye et al. take Jiuquan, a renewable energy powered special town, as a case to show the feasibility and economic analysis of renewable development (Ye et al., 2017). Demand response and micro-grid have attracted much attention in the research community. Chi-Jen Yang discusses the opportunities and barriers to demand response in China (Yang, 2017) and Peigen Tian reviews key technologies and analysis of research state of micro-grid community (Tian et al., 2017).

Environmental impacts are another key focus of this issue. Yu Liu et al. use an environmentally extended CGE analysis to study the economic and environmental implications of raising China's emission standard for thermal power plants (Liu et al., 2017). Meiyu Guo et al. catch the environmental noncompliance in shale gas development in China and the United States (Guo et al., 2017). Yuan Wang et al. study the cost-benefit of GHG emission reduction in waste to energy projects of China under Clean Development Mechanism (Wang et al., 2016). Li et al. conduct a policy case study on heat and power cogeneration and industrial centralized heat-supply in China (Li et al., 2017b). Huang et al. and Hu et al. explore the impacts of power generation on air quality in China (Hu et al., 2017, Huang et al., 2017). Ge Shen et al. use Jiuquan as a case to show the ecological impact of renewable energy (Shen et al., 2017). Mohammad Jafari et al. explore a potential solution for carbon emission by geological CO₂ sequestration in saline aquifers (Jafari et al., 2017).

Acknowledgements

We’d like to thank the Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Ming Xu, for the support of this special issue. We also thank the authors and reviewers for their contribution, without which this issue would not be possible. China’s power sector is indeed in a great transition, and the technical, economic, and societal challenges along such a transition would be enormous. We hope this issue joins the research efforts to facilitate the ongoing discussion and debate of clean power transition in China. We also welcome any comments or suggestions for future research communication and collaboration.

References

M. Guo, Y. Xu, Y.D. Chen. Catching environmental noncompliance in shale gas development in China and the United States. Resour. Conserv. Recycl., 121 (2017), pp. 73-81, 10.1016/j.resconrec.2015.12.001

G. He, H. Zhang, Y. Xu, X. Lu. China’s clean power transition: current status and future prospect. Resour. Conserv. Recycl., 121 (2017), pp. 3-10.

J. Hu, L. Huang, M. Chen, G. He, H. Zhang. Impacts of power generation on air quality in China—part II: future scenarios. Resour. Conserv. Recycl., 121 (2017), pp. 115-127, 10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.04.011

L. Huang, J. Hu, M. Chen, H. Zhang. Impacts of power generation on air quality in China—part I: an overview. Resour. Conserv. Recycl., 121 (2017), pp. 103-114, 10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.04.010

M. Jafari, S.C. Cao, J. Jung. Geological CO2 sequestration in saline aquifers: implication on potential solutions of China’s power sector. Resour. Conserv. Recycl., 121 (2017), pp. 137-155, 10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.05.014

N. Li, X. Zhang, M. Shi, S. Zhou. The prospects of China’s long-term economic development and CO2 emissions under fossil fuel supply constraints. Resour. Conserv. Recycl., 121 (2017), pp. 11-22, 10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.03.016

Y. Li, J. Chang, D. Yong, Q. Huan, C. Ma. Policy and case study on heat and power cogeneration and industrial centralized heat supply in China

Resour. Conserv. Recycl., 121 (2017), pp. 93-102, 10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.04.007

Y. Liu, X. Hu, K. Feng. Economic and environmental implications of raising China’s emission standard for thermal power plants: an environmentally extended CGE analysis. Resour. Conserv. Recycl., 121 (2017), pp. 64-72, 10.1016/j.resconrec.2015.12.005

G. Shen, B. Xu, Y. Jin, S. Chen, W. Zhang, J. Guo, H. Liu, Y. Zhang, X. Yang. Monitoring wind farms occupying grasslands based on remote-sensing data from China’s GF-2 HD satellite—a case study of Jiuquan city, Gansu province, China. Resour. Conserv. Recycl., 121 (2017), pp. 128-136, 10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.06.026

P. Tian, X. Xiao, Y. Chen, T. Jing, X. Huang, N. zhi. The key technologies and analysis of research state of microgrid community. Resour. Conserv. Recycl., 121 (2017), pp. 56-63, 10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.03.005

Y. Wang, S. Geng, P. Zhao, H. Du, Y. He, J. Crittenden. Cost-benefit analysis of GHG emission reduction in waste to energy projects of China under clean development mechanism. Resour. Conserv. Recycl., 109 (2016), pp. 90-95, 10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.02.010

C.-J. Yang. Opportunities and barriers to demand response in China. Resour. Conserv. Recycl., 121 (2017), pp. 51-55, 10.1016/j.resconrec.2015.11.015

B. Ye, P. Yang, J. Jiang, L. Miao, B. Shen, J. Li. Feasibility and economic analysis of a renewable energy powered special town in China. Resour. Conserv. Recycl., 121 (2017), pp. 40-50, 10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.03.003

H. Zhang, L. Cao, B. Zhang. Emissions trading and technology adoption: an adaptive agent-based analysis of thermal power plants in China. Resour. Conserv. Recycl., 121 (2017), pp. 23-32, 10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.05.001

特刊|中国电力行业的环境挑战及潜在解决方案

本期特刊主要着眼于中国电力行业实际情况，从其所面临的环境挑战出发，去探索潜在的解决方案。

作为世界上最大的电力生产国和消费国，中国以煤为主的电力结构给大气污染、气候变化等带来巨大挑战。

爱思唯尔期刊Resources, Conservation and Recycling联合客座编辑何钢、张宏亮、徐袁和鲁玺出版了一期主题为“中国电力行业的环境挑战及潜在解决方案”的特刊。

Resources, Conservation and Recycling

CiteSCore: 3.98

中国电力行业的飞速发展，为中国经济腾飞和快速城市化提供了能源保障，但同时也成为空气污染、环境破坏、生态退化的重要原因。因此，电力清洁化的转型是电力行业可持续发展的必然选择。本期特刊主要着眼于中国电力行业的实际情况，从其所面临的环境挑战出发，去探索潜在的解决方案。

特刊包括如下主题：

中国电力行业转型及其环境挑战研究综述与评论；

可再生能源资源潜力及特征；

风电及光伏开发的生态足迹；

大气污染及气候变化；

页岩气开发的环境影响；

分布式能源、需求端响应、热电联产等技术的应用前景；

排放标准、政策工具和经济影响；

碳捕获与存储等。

以下是这期特刊中一些有代表性的文章：

1. 客座编辑团队关于中国清洁电力转型的综述

China’s clean power transition: Current status and future prospect

文章就资源潜力、技术进展、空气污染治理，和政策与电力改革四个重点领域，综述了中国电力行业所面临的挑战和机遇。文章重点评述了这个方向上的研究进展并提出了未来需要重点关注的研究问题与方向。

2. 中国科学院大学李娜、香港中文大学张晓玲、中国人民大学石敏俊等

The Prospects of China's Long-term Economic Development and CO2 Emissions under Fossil Fuel Supply Constraints

文章将资源耗竭模块嵌入中国能源-经济-环境政策模型，对能源供给约束下2050年中国经济的长期增长和碳排放前景进行了模拟分析，发现能源供给约束将对未来中国经济增长空间起到决定性作用；低碳发展可以缓解化石能源供给约束对长期经济增长的负面影响，同时控制碳排放增长。

3. 南京大学环境学院张慧、曹丽斌、张炳

Emissions trading and technology adoption: An adaptive agent-based analysis of thermal power plants in China

文章采用基于主体建模的方法探讨了我国电力行业氮氧化物排污交易政策对企业技术选择的影响。研究发现全国范围的排污交易会促进企业淘汰落后减排技术，选择最佳可获得技术，而不会促进其选择最先进技术。相比较全国范围的排污交易，限制区域交易会阻碍企业选择污染物去除率较高的技术；相比与基于发电绩效标准来分配初始配额，基于火电厂浓度排放标准的初始配额分配方式能够促进更多的电厂采用先进技术。

4. 中国气象局国家气候中心刘昌义、王阳、朱蓉

Assessment of the economic potential of China’s onshore wind electricity

国家气候中心团队基于经测风塔数据校准和WRF模式回算的1995年-2014年间小时风资源数据库，采用15km×15km格点地理信息数据，调研风电场成本数据改进净现值(NPV)模型。结果表明，在0.6元/kWh的风电上网标杆电价下，中国陆上风电经济可开发量为8.13万亿千瓦时/年。

5. 电力规划设计总院苏燊燊等

Spatiotemporal characteristics of consumption based CO2 emissions from China’s power sector

文章基于中国跨省区电力交易资料，从消费角度估算了2007年、2010年和2012年中国各省区电力行业的碳排放水平，并与生产角度碳排放进行了比较。文章研究了中国跨省区电力交易所隐含的碳排放变化趋势，以及各地区电力行业消费角度的碳排放与生产角度差异，提出了制定行业减排政策时应关注的相关问题。

6. 南京信息工程大学环境科学与工程学院胡建林、黄琳等

Impacts of power generation on air quality in China—part I: Overview and Part II: Future scenarios

文章研究总结了发电对中国空气质量影响的历史趋势和现状，探讨了2030年之前采用五种不同的电力发展情景所造成的排放改变及其对空气质量的影响。结果表明，降低发电对大气污染的影响需考虑协同减少NOx、SO2以及NH3的减排措施。

7. 香港中文大学地理与资源管理系郭美瑜、徐袁、陈永勤

Catching environmental noncompliance in shale gas development in China and the United States

页岩气作为可替代煤炭发电的重要燃料之一，其开发会产生严重的环境影响。本文针对页岩气开发中水资源过度使用、水污染和甲烷泄漏三方面影响，对中美两国的环境监测、报告与核查(MRV)法规的覆盖程度与可实施性进行了定性评估与比较研究。

8. 清华大学深圳研究生院叶斌等

Feasibility and economic analysis of a renewable energy powered special town in China

文章以西北甘肃酒泉地区为案例，考虑了通过构建区域型微型电网实现可再生能源资源就地消纳的可行性。研究结果表明，离网型微网与适当储能设施配合，可以将弃风弃光率控制在10%以下。区域型微网相互串联构建多层微网系统，不仅可以大幅降低弃风弃光率，也可以极大地提高电力系统稳定性。

9. 中国农业科学院农业资源与农业区划研究所申格、杨秀春等

Monitoring wind farms occupying grasslands based on remote-sensing data from China’s GF-2 HD satellite—A case study of Jiuquan city, Gansu province, China

文章以中国甘肃省酒泉市为案例区，在论述国产高分二号遥感数据对风电占用草原监测可行性的基础上，利用人机交互解译的方法，对风电场建设破坏草原面积进行了监测、统计和分析。文章还重点讨论了风电场建设对植被、水土等的影响。

特刊发表在 Resources, Conservation and Recycling 第121卷，欢迎查看→http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09213449/121​​​​

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