China tightens rules to tackle wasted power from wind farms

China’s energy regulator has ordered local authorities to take heed of the grid capacity when selecting new wind power projects in an attempt to ensure that no more than five per cent of the electricity they generate is wasted, it said in a notice.

China’s renewable energy law compels grid firms to absorb the power generated by clean sources such as wind and solar. However, many projects have been left with inadequate grid access, a problem commonly known as “curtailment”.

Regulators have sought to manage the pace of construction to give grids more time to expand transmission capacity, but 12 per cent of total generated wind power was still wasted last year, as well as six per cent of solar, according to official figures.

The new guidelines published by China’s National Energy Administration on Thursday said priority should now be given to cross-regional wind power bases that can deliver electricity to different regional grids.

The projects should be backed by cross-regional power supply agreements as well as commitments from the end-user provinces to build the required transmission capacity.