On November 8, the 12th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress voted to pass the "Energy Law of the People's Republic of China". This law consists of nine chapters, and its main contents include general principles, energy planning, energy development and utilization, energy market system, energy reserves and emergency response, energy science and technology innovation, supervision and management, legal liability, and supplementary provisions. It will come into effect on January 1, 2025.
China Energy Law
Contents
Chapter 1 General Provisions
Chapter 2 Energy Planning
Chapter 3 Energy Development and Utilization
Chapter 4 Energy Market System
Chapter 5 Energy Reserves and Emergency Response
Chapter 6 Energy Science and Technology Innovation
Chapter 7 Supervision and Management
Chapter 8 Legal Liability
Chapter 9 Supplementary Provisions
Chapter I General Provisions
Article 1 This Law is formulated in accordance with the Constitution in order to promote high-quality development of energy, safeguard national energy security, promote green and low-carbon transformation and sustainable development of the economy and society, actively and steadily advance carbon peak and carbon neutrality, and meet the needs of building a modern socialist country in an all-round way.
Article 2 Energy as referred to in this Law refers to various resources that obtain useful energy directly or through processing and conversion, including coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear energy, hydropower, wind energy, solar energy, biomass energy, geothermal energy, ocean energy, as well as electricity, heat, hydrogen energy, etc.
Article 3 Energy work should adhere to the leadership of the Communist Party of China, implement the new development concept and the overall national security concept, coordinate development and security, implement a new energy security strategy that promotes energy consumption revolution, energy supply revolution, energy technology revolution, energy system revolution and all-round strengthening of international cooperation, adhere to domestic-based, diversified guarantees, conservation priority, green development, and accelerate the construction of a new energy system that is clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient.
Article 4 The State adheres to the principles of multiple measures, precise policy implementation, scientific management, and social co-governance, improves energy conservation policies, strengthens energy conservation management, and comprehensively adopts economic, technological, publicity and education measures to promote the overall reduction of energy consumption in the entire process and all fields of economic and social development and prevent energy waste.
Article 5 The State improves energy development and utilization policies, optimizes energy supply structure and consumption structure, actively promotes clean and low-carbon energy development, and improves energy utilization efficiency.
The State establishes a new mechanism for the comprehensive transformation from the dual control of total energy consumption and intensity to the dual control of total carbon emissions and intensity, and accelerates the construction of a dual control system for total carbon emissions and intensity.
Article 6 The State accelerates the establishment of an energy market system with diversified subjects, unified openness, orderly competition, and effective supervision, regulates the energy market order according to law, and equally protects the legitimate rights and interests of various subjects in the energy market.
Article 7 The State improves the energy production, supply, storage and sales system, improves the energy reserve system and energy emergency mechanism, enhances energy supply capacity, and ensures safe, stable, reliable and effective energy supply.
Article 8 The State establishes and improves the energy standard system to ensure energy security and green and low-carbon transformation, and promote the development of new energy technologies, new industries, and new formats.
Article 9 The state shall strengthen the construction of energy science and technology innovation capabilities, support scientific and technological research, application demonstration and industrial development of energy development and utilization, and provide scientific and technological support for high-quality energy development.
Article 10 The state adheres to the principle of equality, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, and actively promotes international energy cooperation.
Article 11 The people's governments at or above the county level shall strengthen the organizational leadership and overall coordination of energy work, and promptly study and solve major problems in energy work.
The people's governments at or above the county level shall incorporate energy work into the national economic and social development plan and annual plan.
Article 12 The energy department of the State Council shall be responsible for national energy work. Other relevant departments of the State Council shall be responsible for relevant energy work within their respective responsibilities.
The energy department of the local people's government at or above the county level shall be responsible for energy work in its administrative region. Other relevant departments of the local people's government at or above the county level shall be responsible for relevant energy work in its administrative region within their respective responsibilities.
Article 13 The people's governments at or above the county level and their relevant departments shall adopt various forms to strengthen publicity and education on energy conservation, energy security and green and low-carbon development of energy, enhance the awareness of energy conservation and energy security in the whole society, and promote the formation of a green and low-carbon production and lifestyle.
The news media shall carry out public welfare publicity on energy conservation, energy security and green and low-carbon development of energy.
Article 14: Units and individuals who have made outstanding contributions to energy work shall be commended and rewarded in accordance with relevant national regulations.
Chapter II Energy Planning
Article 15 The state shall formulate and improve energy planning, and give play to the leading, guiding and normative role of energy planning in energy development.
Energy planning includes national comprehensive energy planning, national sub-field energy planning, regional energy planning and energy planning of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government.
Article 16 The national comprehensive energy planning shall be organized and compiled by the energy department of the State Council in conjunction with relevant departments of the State Council. The national comprehensive energy planning shall be compiled in accordance with the national economic and social development plan and connected with relevant plans such as the national land space planning.
The national sub-field energy planning shall be organized and compiled by the energy department of the State Council in conjunction with relevant departments of the State Council in accordance with the national comprehensive energy planning.
The energy department of the State Council, in conjunction with relevant departments of the State Council and the people's governments of relevant provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government, may compile regional energy plans across provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government based on the needs of regional economic and social development, energy resource endowment, energy production and consumption characteristics, and ecological and environmental protection requirements. Regional energy planning shall comply with the national comprehensive energy planning and be connected with relevant national sub-field energy planning.
Article 17 The energy authorities of the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government shall, together with relevant departments, organize the preparation of energy plans for their provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government in accordance with the national comprehensive energy plan, relevant national sub-field energy plans and relevant regional energy plans.
If the people's governments of cities with districts and county-level people's governments need to prepare energy plans, they shall implement them in accordance with the relevant provisions of the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government.
Article 18 In the preparation of energy plans, the laws of energy development shall be followed, overall planning and balancing shall be adhered to, and scientific demonstration shall be strengthened. The departments organizing the preparation of energy plans shall seek opinions from relevant departments, relevant enterprises and industry organizations and relevant experts.
The energy plan shall clearly define the goals, main tasks, regional layout, key projects, and safeguard measures of energy development during the planning period.
Article 19 The energy plan shall be implemented after approval in accordance with the prescribed authority and procedures.
The approved energy plan shall be announced in accordance with the regulations.
Article 20 The departments organizing the preparation of energy plans shall organize an assessment of the implementation of the energy plan. If the energy plan needs to be adjusted according to the assessment results, it shall be reported to the original approval authority for approval, unless otherwise provided by the state.
Chapter III Energy Development and Utilization
Article 21 The State shall formulate and improve energy development and utilization policies in a classified manner, in accordance with the energy resource endowment and the needs of sustainable economic and social development, taking into account factors such as ensuring energy security, optimizing energy structure, promoting energy transformation and energy conservation, and protecting the ecological environment.
Article 22 The State supports the priority development and utilization of renewable energy, the rational development and clean and efficient utilization of fossil energy, the promotion of safe, reliable and orderly substitution of non-fossil energy for fossil energy, and the increase of the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption.
The energy department of the State Council shall, together with relevant departments of the State Council, formulate medium- and long-term development goals for the development and utilization of non-fossil energy, monitor the development and utilization of non-fossil energy on an annual basis, and make them public.
Article 23 The energy department of the State Council shall, together with relevant departments of the State Council, formulate and organize the implementation of the minimum proportion target of renewable energy in energy consumption.
The State shall improve the guarantee mechanism for the consumption of renewable energy power. Power supply enterprises, power sales enterprises, relevant power users and enterprises using self-provided power plants for power supply shall, in accordance with relevant national regulations, assume the responsibility for consuming renewable energy power generation.
The energy department of the State Council shall, together with relevant departments of the State Council, monitor and assess the implementation of the minimum proportion target of renewable energy in energy consumption and the responsibility for the consumption of renewable energy power.
Article 24 The State shall coordinate the development of hydropower and ecological protection, and strictly control the development and construction of small hydropower stations.
The development, construction and renovation of hydropower stations shall comply with the relevant planning of the river basin, and take into account the needs of flood control, ecology, water supply, irrigation, shipping, etc.
Article 25 The State shall promote the development and utilization of wind and solar energy, adhere to the development of centralized and distributed energy, accelerate the construction of wind power and photovoltaic power generation bases, support the development and utilization of distributed wind power and photovoltaic power generation nearby, reasonably and orderly develop offshore wind power, and actively develop solar thermal power generation.
Article 26 The State shall encourage the reasonable development and utilization of biomass energy, develop biomass power generation, biomass clean heating, bio-liquid fuels, and bio-natural gas according to local conditions.
The State shall promote the large-scale development and utilization of ocean energy, and develop geothermal energy according to local conditions.
Article 27 The State shall actively, safely and orderly develop nuclear power.
The energy department of the State Council shall coordinate the development and layout of nuclear power nationwide in conjunction with relevant departments of the State Council, and strengthen the management and supervision of the planning, site selection, design, construction, and operation of nuclear power plants in accordance with their duties.
Article 28 The state optimizes the layout and industrial structure of coal development, encourages the development of circular economy in coal mining areas, optimizes the structure of coal consumption, promotes the clean and efficient use of coal, and gives full play to the basic guarantee and system regulation role of coal in the energy supply system.
Article 29 The state adopts various measures to increase the exploration and development of oil and natural gas resources and enhance the domestic supply guarantee capacity of oil and natural gas.
Oil and natural gas development adheres to the equal emphasis on land and sea, and encourages the large-scale development of unconventional oil and gas resources such as tight oil and gas, shale oil, shale gas, and coalbed methane.
The state optimizes the layout and structure of the oil processing and conversion industry, and encourages the use of advanced and intensive processing and conversion methods.
The state supports the rational development and utilization of new fuels and industrial raw materials that can replace oil and natural gas.
Article 30 The state promotes the clean and efficient development of coal-fired power generation, and reasonably arranges the construction of coal-fired power generation according to the needs of stable operation of the power system and power supply guarantee, and improves the regulation capacity of coal-fired power generation.
Article 31 The State accelerates the construction of a new power system, strengthens the coordinated construction of power sources and power grids, promotes the intelligent transformation of power grid infrastructure and the construction of smart microgrids, and improves the power grid's ability to accept, configure and regulate renewable energy.
Article 32 The State rationally arranges, actively and orderly develops and constructs pumped storage power stations, promotes the high-quality development of new energy storage, and gives play to the regulatory role of various types of energy storage in the power system.
Article 33 The State actively and orderly promotes the development and utilization of hydrogen energy and promotes the high-quality development of the hydrogen energy industry.
Article 34 The State promotes the improvement of energy utilization efficiency, encourages the development of distributed energy and multi-energy complementarity and multi-energy co-supply comprehensive energy services, actively promotes market-oriented energy-saving services such as contract energy management, and improves the level of clean, low-carbon, efficient and intelligent terminal energy consumption.
The State establishes a green energy consumption promotion mechanism through the implementation of renewable energy green power certificates and other systems, and encourages energy users to give priority to the use of clean and low-carbon energy such as renewable energy.
Public institutions shall give priority to the purchase and use of clean and low-carbon energy such as renewable energy and energy-saving products and services.
Article 35 Energy enterprises and energy users shall equip and use energy and carbon emission metering instruments in accordance with relevant national regulations.
Energy users shall use energy reasonably in accordance with the safety use specifications and relevant energy conservation regulations, fulfill their energy conservation obligations in accordance with the law, actively participate in energy demand response, expand green energy consumption, and consciously practice green and low-carbon production and living styles.
The state strengthens energy demand-side management, and guides energy users to reasonably adjust energy use methods, time, quantity, etc. by improving the ladder price, time-of-use price and other systems, so as to promote energy conservation and improve energy utilization efficiency.
Article 36 Enterprises that undertake the supply of electricity, gas, heat and other energy shall, in accordance with laws, regulations and relevant national regulations, ensure that energy users in their business areas obtain safe, continuous and reliable energy supply services, and shall not refuse or interrupt energy supply services without statutory or agreed reasons, and shall not arbitrarily increase prices, illegally collect fees, reduce supply quantities or restrict purchase quantities.
The enterprises specified in the preceding paragraph shall publicize service specifications, charging standards and complaint channels, and provide public inquiry services for energy users.
Article 37 The state strengthens the construction and protection of energy infrastructure. No unit or individual shall engage in activities that endanger the safety of energy infrastructure.
The energy department of the State Council shall coordinate with relevant departments of the State Council the construction of energy infrastructure such as oil, natural gas and electricity transmission pipelines across provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government; the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government shall reserve land and sea for energy infrastructure construction in accordance with energy planning and include them in the national land space planning.
The operators of energy transmission pipeline facilities such as oil, natural gas and electricity shall improve the operation safety level of energy transmission pipelines and ensure the safe operation of energy transmission pipeline systems. Facilities, equipment and products connected to energy transmission pipelines shall meet the requirements for safe operation of pipeline systems.
Article 38 The State shall encourage and support rural energy development in accordance with the principles of urban-rural integration, adapting to local conditions, multi-energy complementarity, comprehensive utilization and service improvement, and focus on supporting rural energy development in old revolutionary areas, ethnic minority areas, border areas and underdeveloped areas, and improving rural energy supply capacity and service levels.
Local people's governments at or above the county level shall coordinate the construction of urban and rural energy infrastructure and public service systems and promote the interconnection of urban and rural energy infrastructure.
When temporary energy supply shortages occur in rural areas, the relevant local people's governments shall take measures to give priority to ensuring rural energy for living and agricultural production.
Article 39. Those engaged in energy development and utilization activities shall comply with the provisions of relevant laws and regulations on ecological environment protection, production safety, and occupational disease prevention and control, reduce emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases, prevent damage to the ecological environment, and prevent and reduce production safety accidents and occupational disease hazards.
Chapter IV Energy Market System
Article 40 The state encourages and guides all types of business entities to invest in energy development and utilization, energy infrastructure construction, etc. in accordance with the law to promote the development of the energy market.
Article 41 The state promotes the independent operation of natural monopoly links in the energy field and the market-oriented reform of competitive links, strengthens the supervision and regulation of natural monopoly businesses in the energy field in accordance with the law, and supports all types of business entities to participate in competitive businesses in the energy field fairly in accordance with market rules.
Article 42 The energy department of the State Council shall coordinate with relevant departments of the State Council to promote the construction of a unified national coal, electricity, oil, natural gas and other energy trading markets, promote the establishment of market trading institutions or trading platforms with complete functions and standardized operations, expand the scope of trading methods and trading products in accordance with the law, and improve trading mechanisms and trading rules.
Article 43 People's governments at or above the county level and their relevant departments shall strengthen overall coordination and organization to ensure smooth energy transportation.
Energy transmission pipeline network facility operators shall improve fair access and use mechanisms, disclose information on energy transmission pipeline network facility access and transmission capacity and operation conditions in accordance with regulations, and open and provide energy transmission services to qualified enterprises and other business entities in a fair and non-discriminatory manner.
Article 44 The state encourages upstream and downstream enterprises in the energy sector to strengthen cooperation and coordinated development in a market-oriented manner in accordance with the law through the conclusion of long-term agreements and other means, and enhance the ability to respond to energy market risks.
The state jointly promotes the high-quality development of energy resource exploration, design and construction, equipment manufacturing, project financing, circulation and trade, information services, etc., and enhances the service support capabilities of the entire chain of upstream and downstream in the energy sector.
Article 45 The state promotes the establishment of an energy price formation mechanism that is compatible with the socialist market economic system and is mainly determined by factors such as energy resource conditions, product and service costs, market supply and demand conditions, and sustainable development conditions.
The energy prices that are implemented by government pricing or government guidance prices in accordance with the law, the pricing authority and specific scope of application are based on the pricing catalogues of the central and local governments. The formulation and adjustment of energy prices that are implemented by government pricing or government guidance prices shall comply with the "Price Law of the People's Republic of China" and other laws, administrative regulations and relevant national regulations. Energy enterprises shall provide relevant data such as price costs in a timely, truthful and accurate manner in accordance with regulations.
The state improves the energy price regulation system, improves the efficiency of energy price regulation, and builds a mechanism to prevent and respond to the risks of abnormal fluctuations in energy market prices.
Article 46 The State shall actively promote international investment and trade cooperation in the energy sector, and effectively prevent and respond to risks in the international energy market.
Chapter V Energy Reserves and Emergency Response
Article 47 The State shall establish and improve an efficient and coordinated energy reserve system in accordance with the principles of government-led, social co-construction, and diversified complementarity, scientifically and rationally determine the types, scales and methods of energy reserves, and give full play to the strategic guarantee, macro-control and emergency response functions of energy reserves.
Article 48 Energy reserves shall be implemented by combining government reserves with enterprise reserves, and physical reserves shall be coordinated with production capacity reserves and mineral reserves.
Government reserves include central government reserves and local government reserves, and enterprise reserves include corporate social responsibility reserves and other production and operation inventories of enterprises.
The collection, storage, rotation and use of energy reserves shall be carried out in accordance with laws, administrative regulations and relevant national regulations.
The State shall improve the market regulation mechanism of government reserves and take effective measures to respond to risks such as large market fluctuations.
Article 49 The government reserve storage and operation institutions shall establish and improve internal management systems, strengthen reserve management and ensure the safety of government reserves in accordance with laws, administrative regulations and relevant national regulations.
Corporate social responsibility reserves shall be established in accordance with the principles of enterprise ownership, policy guidance and effective supervision. Energy enterprises that undertake social responsibility reserves shall implement reserve responsibilities in accordance with the prescribed types and quantities, and accept supervision and management by relevant government departments.
The specific measures for energy capacity reserves shall be formulated by the energy department of the State Council in conjunction with the financial department of the State Council and other relevant departments.
The specific measures for energy mineral reserves shall be formulated by the natural resources department of the State Council in conjunction with the energy department of the State Council, the financial department of the State Council and other relevant departments.
Article 50 The state shall improve the energy reserve supervision system, accelerate the construction of energy reserve facilities, improve the professional level of energy reserve operators, strengthen the information construction of energy reserves, and continuously improve the comprehensive efficiency of energy reserves.
Article 51 The State shall establish and improve the energy forecasting and early warning system, improve the energy forecasting and early warning capabilities and levels, and timely and effectively forecast and warn of changes in energy supply and demand, energy price fluctuations, and energy security risk conditions.
Energy forecasting and early warning information shall be issued by the energy department of the State Council.
Article 52 The State shall establish an energy emergency management system with unified leadership, hierarchical responsibility, and coordinated linkage.
People's governments at or above the county level shall take effective measures to strengthen the construction of the energy emergency system, conduct energy emergency drills and training on a regular basis, and improve energy emergency capabilities.
Article 53 The energy department of the State Council shall, together with relevant departments of the State Council, formulate a national energy emergency plan, which shall be implemented after approval by the State Council.
The energy department of the State Council shall, together with relevant departments of the State Council, strengthen the guidance and coordination of energy emergency work across provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government.
The people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government shall formulate energy emergency plans for their administrative regions based on the actual conditions of their administrative regions.
The formulation of energy emergency plans by the people's governments of cities with districts and county-level people's governments shall be decided by the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government.
Large-scale energy enterprises and energy-consuming units shall prepare their own energy emergency plans in accordance with national regulations.
Article 54 When an energy emergency occurs, such as a serious shortage of energy supply or supply interruption, the relevant people's government shall promptly initiate an emergency response according to its authority, and may take the following emergency measures in accordance with the law according to the actual situation and needs:
(i) Release relevant information such as energy supply and demand;
(ii) Implement emergency dispatch of energy production, transportation, and supply or directly organize energy production, transportation, and supply;
(iii) Requisition relevant energy products, energy storage facilities, transportation vehicles, and other materials to ensure energy supply;
(iv) Implement price intervention measures and price emergency measures;
(v) Organize the release of energy reserves in accordance with regulations;
(vi) Organize the implementation of energy supply in accordance with the order of energy supply guarantee;
(vii) Other necessary measures.
After the energy emergency is eliminated, the relevant people's government shall promptly terminate the implementation of emergency measures.
Article 55 When an energy emergency occurs as provided for in Article 54 of this Law, energy enterprises, energy users, and other relevant units and individuals shall obey the unified command and arrangements of the relevant people's government, assume corresponding energy emergency obligations in accordance with regulations, cooperate in taking emergency measures, and assist in maintaining the order of the energy market.
If losses are caused to relevant units and individuals due to the implementation of energy emergency measures, the relevant people's government shall compensate them according to law.
Chapter VI Energy Science and Technology Innovation
Article 56 The State shall formulate policies and measures to encourage and support energy science and technology innovation, and promote the establishment of an energy science and technology innovation system led by national strategic scientific and technological forces, with enterprises as the main body, market-oriented, and deep integration of industry, academia and research.
Article 57 The State encourages and supports the research, development, demonstration, promotion and application and industrialization of basic, key and cutting-edge major technologies, equipment and related new materials in the fields of energy resource exploration and development, clean and efficient utilization of fossil energy, development and utilization of renewable energy, safe utilization of nuclear energy, development and utilization of hydrogen energy, as well as energy storage and energy conservation.
Energy science and technology innovation shall be included in the key support areas of the relevant plans for national science and technology development and high-tech industry development.
Article 58 The State shall formulate and improve policies such as industry, finance, and government procurement to encourage and guide social funds to invest in energy science and technology innovation.
Article 59 The State shall establish major energy science and technology innovation platforms, support the construction of major energy science and technology infrastructure and public service platforms such as energy technology research and development, testing, inspection, and certification, and improve energy science and technology innovation capabilities and service capabilities.
Article 60 The State supports the concentrated development of scientific and technological breakthroughs and integrated application demonstrations based on major energy projects, and promotes collaborative innovation between industry, academia, research and the upstream and downstream energy industry chains and supply chains.
Article 61 The state supports the application of advanced information technology in the energy field, promotes the digital and intelligent development of energy production and supply, and the coordinated conversion and integrated complementarity of multiple energy sources.
Article 62 The state increases the training of professional talents in energy science and technology, and encourages and supports educational institutions, scientific research institutions and enterprises to cooperate in training high-quality professional talents in energy science and technology.
Chapter VII Supervision and Management
Article 63: The energy authorities and other relevant departments of the people's governments at or above the county level shall, in accordance with the division of responsibilities, strengthen supervision and inspection of relevant energy work and promptly investigate and deal with illegal acts.
Article 64: The energy authorities and other relevant departments of the people's governments at or above the county level shall perform their supervision and inspection duties in accordance with the division of responsibilities and may take the following measures:
(a) Enter energy enterprises, dispatching agencies, energy market trading agencies, energy users and other units to conduct on-site inspections;
(b) Inquire about personnel related to the inspection matters and require them to explain the relevant matters;
(c) Review and copy documents, materials and electronic data related to the inspection matters;
(d) Other measures prescribed by laws and regulations.
The inspected units and their relevant personnel shall cooperate with the supervision and inspection implemented by the energy authorities and other relevant departments in accordance with the law and shall not refuse or hinder them.
The energy authorities and other relevant departments and their staff shall have the obligation to keep confidential the state secrets, commercial secrets, personal privacy and personal information learned during the supervision and inspection process in accordance with the law.
Article 65: The energy authorities and other relevant departments of the people's governments at or above the county level shall strengthen energy supervision coordination and improve supervision efficiency, and may establish an energy supervision information system according to work needs.
Relevant units shall submit relevant information to the energy authorities and other relevant departments in accordance with the regulations.
Article 66 The energy authorities of the State Council shall, together with relevant departments of the State Council, strengthen the construction of the energy industry credit system and establish a credit record system in accordance with relevant national regulations.
Article 67 Disputes arising from the access and use of energy transmission pipeline facilities may be coordinated by the energy authorities of the people's governments at or above the provincial level. If the coordination fails, the parties may file a lawsuit with the people's court; the parties may also directly file a lawsuit with the people's court.
Article 68 Any unit or individual has the right to report to the energy authorities of the people's governments at or above the county level or other relevant departments for violations of this Law and other laws and regulations related to energy. The department receiving the report shall promptly handle it in accordance with the law.
Chapter VIII Legal Liability
Article 69 If the staff of the energy authorities of the people's governments at or above the county level or other relevant departments violate the provisions of this Law, abuse their power, neglect their duties, or engage in malpractice for personal gain, they shall be punished in accordance with the law.
Article 70: If an enterprise responsible for the supply of electricity, gas, heat or other energy refuses or interrupts the energy supply service to energy users in its business area without legal or agreed reasons, or arbitrarily raises prices, illegally collects fees, reduces the supply quantity or restricts the purchase quantity, the energy department of the people's government at or above the county level or other relevant departments shall order it to make corrections according to the division of responsibilities and impose administrative penalties in accordance with the law; if the circumstances are serious, the relevant supervisors and directly responsible persons shall be punished according to the law.
Article 71: If an energy transmission pipeline network facility operator fails to open and provide energy transmission services to qualified enterprises and other business entities in a fair and non-discriminatory manner in violation of the provisions of this Law, the energy department of the people's government at or above the provincial level or other relevant departments shall order it to make corrections according to the division of responsibilities, give warnings or criticize it; if it refuses to make corrections, it shall be fined up to twice the amount of the economic losses of the relevant business entity; if the circumstances are serious, the relevant supervisors and directly responsible persons shall be punished according to the law.
Article 72. If any of the following circumstances occurs in violation of the provisions of this Law, the energy department of the people's government at or above the county level or other relevant departments shall order rectification, give warnings or issue notices of criticism in accordance with the division of responsibilities; if rectification is refused, a fine of not less than RMB 100,000 yuan but not more than RMB 200,000 yuan shall be imposed:
(1) Enterprises responsible for the supply of electricity, gas, heat and other energy fail to publicize service specifications, charging standards and complaint channels, or fail to provide public inquiry services for energy users;
(2) Energy transmission pipeline network facility operators fail to disclose information on energy transmission pipeline network facility access and transmission capacity and operation status in accordance with regulations;
(3) Energy enterprises fail to provide relevant data such as price and cost in accordance with regulations;
(4) Relevant units fail to submit relevant information to the energy department or other relevant departments in accordance with regulations. Article 73: If an energy enterprise, energy user or other relevant unit or individual violates the provisions of this Law and fails to obey the unified command and arrangement of the relevant people's government, fails to assume the energy emergency obligations in accordance with the provisions or fails to cooperate in taking emergency measures in the event of an energy emergency, the energy competent department of the people's government at or above the county level or other relevant departments shall order them to make corrections, give them warnings or issue a notice of criticism in accordance with the division of responsibilities; if they refuse to make corrections, they shall be fined not less than RMB 10,000 yuan but not more than RMB 50,000 yuan for individuals and not less than RMB 100,000 yuan but not more than RMB 500,000 yuan for units, and may be ordered to suspend business for rectification or revoke relevant licenses according to the severity of the circumstances.
Article 74: If a person violates the provisions of this Law and causes property losses or other damages, he shall bear civil liability in accordance with the law; if he constitutes an act of violation of public security management, he shall be given a public security management penalty in accordance with the law; if he constitutes a crime, he shall be investigated for criminal liability in accordance with the law.
Chapter IX Supplementary Provisions
Article 75: The following terms in this Law have the following meanings:
(a) Fossil energy refers to energy evolved from ancient animal and plant fossils through geological action, including coal, oil and natural gas.
(ii) Renewable energy refers to energy that can be continuously replenished and regenerated through natural processes in a relatively short period of time, including hydropower, wind power, solar power, biomass energy, geothermal energy, ocean energy, etc.
(iii) Non-fossil energy refers to energy that is obtained without relying on fossil fuels, including renewable energy and nuclear energy.
(iv) Biomass energy refers to energy converted from plants and urban and rural organic waste in nature through biological, chemical or physical processes.
(v) Hydrogen energy refers to energy released by chemical reactions of hydrogen as an energy carrier.
Article 76 The management of energy development and utilization of the military shall be implemented in accordance with relevant national and military regulations.
If the state has other provisions on the development and utilization of nuclear energy, its provisions shall apply.
Article 77 If the international treaties on energy concluded or participated by the People's Republic of China have different provisions from this Law, the provisions of the international treaties shall apply, except for the provisions reserved by the People's Republic of China.
Article 78 If any country or region adopts discriminatory prohibitions, restrictions or other similar measures against the People's Republic of China in the renewable energy industry or other energy fields, the People's Republic of China may take corresponding measures against that country or region based on actual circumstances.
Article 79: Any organization or individual outside the territory of the People's Republic of China that carries out acts that endanger the national energy security of the People's Republic of China shall be held accountable in accordance with the law.
Article 80: This Law shall come into force on January 1, 2025.
