Loss of State Grid Planning Rights

On July 17, an informed source close to the leadership of the National Energy Administration revealed to the reporter that the National Energy Administration no longer directly approves plans submitted by enterprises, but instead organizes a team of experts to discuss the maturity and is issued by the National Energy Administration. Similar to the "12th Five-Year Plan of the State Grid Corporation of China" and the "12th Five-Year Plan" of China National Petroleum Corporation, it will disappear.

The senior officials of the National Energy Administration stated at a meeting in April that "The Energy Bureau is the national energy bureau, not the energy bureau of a certain company or a certain department."

The industry generally believes that this is an important signal for the National Energy Administration to change its working methods. "Enterprise planning cannot replace national planning. The chaotic situation that once led to their own operations will eventually come to an end," said the person familiar with the matter with the reporter.

“Over the years, the public is almost indistinguishable from the difference between national planning and state-owned and state-owned enterprise planning.” Ding Gongyang, former consultant of the State Grid Construction Corporation and chief planning officer of the former Power Planning Institute, told this reporter that “enterprise planning often replaces the state” Planning creates confusion."

In Ding Gongyang’s view, this trend began in 2005, when the State Grid Corporation of China released a corporate plan for “a national network”.

In the following eight years, despite repeated revisions, the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration, as the competent authorities, have not been able to completely escape the influence of corporate planning.

The "Twelfth Five-Year Plan" has already passed half of the time. The "12th Five-Year Plan" of the power grid has not yet been introduced. At present, it can only replace it with the "2013-2020 Plan" of the power grid companies.

Ding Gongyang believes that the power plan must at least clarify the three aspects of power supply, power grid and power demand. The power grid is only the transmission medium. Planning alone in the name of the power grid company can only be a castle in the air.

In fact, planning led by large enterprises has already revealed conflicts with national planning and has led directly to the investment risks of companies.

Taking wind power as an example, wind power developers with “Five Powers and Six Small Powers” ​​as the main players are going their own way. The wind farm construction layout is difficult to connect with the power grid. In the past five years, wind farms have repeatedly been built but cannot be delivered. Awkward situation.

The “Three North” area with the highest quality of wind resources has become the most severe area for wind curtailment. According to statistics from the National Energy Administration, in 2012, China altogether gave up its wind power capacity of 20 billion kWh and directly lost more than 10 billion yuan.

"In the future, corporate planning will not be released before it is reported to the National Energy Administration, and it is necessary to bring the word 'research'." Jiang Shaojun, former director of the Strategic Planning Department of the State Power Corporation, read to this reporter: "Only after the organization of experts' discussion and approval It can only be released in the name of the National Energy Administration.” Jiang Shaojun is also a member of the “Southern Power Grid Plan for 2012-2020”.

According to Jiang Shaojun and Ding Gongyang, it will be more scientific to formulate power grid plans in accordance with the new methods. The era of planning in the past without specifying the size of power supplies and the demand for electricity will soon be over.

In order to ensure the smooth implementation of the national plan, the dispatching agencies of the National Energy Administration will take the responsibility of correcting and correcting the situation. According to reports, after the State Electricity Regulatory Commission’s stationed offices around the country have merged with the National Energy Administration, its status is similar to that of the Ministry of Finance, the National Audit Office, and the State Administration of Taxation. It will focus on supervising the implementation of national plans.

Jiang Shaojun said: "If it is found that the phenomenon does not meet the plan, the Energy Bureau will take necessary measures." As of press time, the reporter has not yet received a response from the large central enterprises to this change.