R&D offer; the disconnect between innovation
and industry demand still exists. Third,
improvements need to be made in the innovation
system and mechanisms, market allocation of
innovation resources, intellectual property protection and management, and talent development, management and motivation. Fourth,
long-term strategic plans are absent. The current energy policy system does not put technology innovation at the centre, and national
technology innovation strategies and a development roadmap for energy are absent.
China’s strategies and policies are transitioning from a planned economy to a market economy in energy and other industries alike. In the
traditional planned economy, China’s energy
policies had a direct effect on the structure,
organisations and planning of the energy industry. Although planning did not focus on energy
technology polices, there were technology
requirements even though the policies did not
exist.
7.2 There Are Opportunities to Lead
Global Energy
Development During
the Global Energy
Transition
7.2.1 China Has Seized the Opportunity
to Reshape Production
In the past four decades, China has seized the
opportunity offered by globalisation to reform its
labour market. It has evolved from a
family-centred system and used the booming
manufacturing industry to grow the entire economy. As a result, China has made the historic
transition from an agricultural country to an
industrial one. This enabled labour to leave the
land and work in industry. The tax sharing system reform triggered competition between
counties and created a collective atmosphere of
“competition, learning and catching up”. Globalisation allowed China’s industry to become the
workshop of the world and the Chinese people to
become rich. However, extensive energy
development and use resulted in severe environmental problems, reflecting the contradiction
between the people’s need for a better life and
unbalanced development.
7.2.2 The New Industrial Revolution Is
Driven by the Transition
to Smart Power
The global energy landscape is undergoing major
change thanks to the deep integration of energy
and information and technology innovation. In
the next four decades, the optimal distribution of
energy and information will become a key driver
in the modernisation of industrial civilisation.
Electricity will play an historical role in driving
China to leap forward from being a rich country
to a strong power. Every technology revolution is
a time for substituting new for old social development drivers and is a window for replacing
world powers. In the past 300 years, the two
previous technology revolutions were driven by
energy changes. The steam engine and the electric motor replaced human strength and created
world powers like the UK and the USA
respectively.
China is embracing the technology revolution
driven by information and human intelligence.
Electricity is a carrier of both energy and information. A pan-power network, integrating electricity and electronics, is an important platform
for the deep integration of electric power and
intelligence. The intelligent electricity revolution
will play an increasingly important role in history. Electricity market reform is an important
engine for the smart electricity revolution; it has
the historical mission of integrating smart
decision-making with industry and modernising
industrial civilisation with green energy.
Major economies consider energy technology a
breakthrough for the new technological and
industrial revolution and have developed various
policies and measures to achieve leadership and
sharpen their national competitiveness. For example, the USA has published the All-of-the-Above
energy strategy, Japan has issued the Innovative
Energy Strategy for 2030, and the EU has released
the Energy Roadmap 2050.
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S. Zifeng and N. Dickens
and industry demand still exists. Third,
improvements need to be made in the innovation
system and mechanisms, market allocation of
innovation resources, intellectual property protection and management, and talent development, management and motivation. Fourth,
long-term strategic plans are absent. The current energy policy system does not put technology innovation at the centre, and national
technology innovation strategies and a development roadmap for energy are absent.
China’s strategies and policies are transitioning from a planned economy to a market economy in energy and other industries alike. In the
traditional planned economy, China’s energy
policies had a direct effect on the structure,
organisations and planning of the energy industry. Although planning did not focus on energy
technology polices, there were technology
requirements even though the policies did not
exist.
7.2 There Are Opportunities to Lead
Global Energy
Development During
the Global Energy
Transition
7.2.1 China Has Seized the Opportunity
to Reshape Production
In the past four decades, China has seized the
opportunity offered by globalisation to reform its
labour market. It has evolved from a
family-centred system and used the booming
manufacturing industry to grow the entire economy. As a result, China has made the historic
transition from an agricultural country to an
industrial one. This enabled labour to leave the
land and work in industry. The tax sharing system reform triggered competition between
counties and created a collective atmosphere of
“competition, learning and catching up”. Globalisation allowed China’s industry to become the
workshop of the world and the Chinese people to
become rich. However, extensive energy
development and use resulted in severe environmental problems, reflecting the contradiction
between the people’s need for a better life and
unbalanced development.
7.2.2 The New Industrial Revolution Is
Driven by the Transition
to Smart Power
The global energy landscape is undergoing major
change thanks to the deep integration of energy
and information and technology innovation. In
the next four decades, the optimal distribution of
energy and information will become a key driver
in the modernisation of industrial civilisation.
Electricity will play an historical role in driving
China to leap forward from being a rich country
to a strong power. Every technology revolution is
a time for substituting new for old social development drivers and is a window for replacing
world powers. In the past 300 years, the two
previous technology revolutions were driven by
energy changes. The steam engine and the electric motor replaced human strength and created
world powers like the UK and the USA
respectively.
China is embracing the technology revolution
driven by information and human intelligence.
Electricity is a carrier of both energy and information. A pan-power network, integrating electricity and electronics, is an important platform
for the deep integration of electric power and
intelligence. The intelligent electricity revolution
will play an increasingly important role in history. Electricity market reform is an important
engine for the smart electricity revolution; it has
the historical mission of integrating smart
decision-making with industry and modernising
industrial civilisation with green energy.
Major economies consider energy technology a
breakthrough for the new technological and
industrial revolution and have developed various
policies and measures to achieve leadership and
sharpen their national competitiveness. For example, the USA has published the All-of-the-Above
energy strategy, Japan has issued the Innovative
Energy Strategy for 2030, and the EU has released
the Energy Roadmap 2050.
390
S. Zifeng and N. Dickens