increasing rapidly, and its coal policies are aimed
at stimulating coal supply.
6.1.3 Clean Energy Is Rapidly Replacing
Coal, Thanks to Incentives
for Users
Countries aiming to abandon coal, even though
they may be highly dependent on it in the short
and medium terms or increasing their use of it,
might yet actively take part in global emissions
reduction governance and issue the necessary
policies to encourage power generation with clean
energy. North America is expected to increase the
share of clean energy consumption to 50% by
2025. Argentina plans to invest $2.1 billion in
wind, solar, biomass power and small hydropower
stations. Sweden plans to make 100% of its
energy green by 2040. Germany encourages distributed energy through a high level of energy
efficiency tax refunds and through financial support for energy-efficiency equipment. It is estimated that the proportion of renewable power in
total electricity consumption will increase to 40–
45% by 2025, and to 55–60% by 2035. England
supports distributed power projects through subsidies, credit loans and intelligent metering. Italy
supports distributed power projects through an
energy tax, credit loans, high prices, consumption
subsidies and other preferential policies—the
feed-in tariff for distributed power is 50% higher
than the domestic retail price. In Chile, the proportion of new energy will reach 50% by 2035 and
70% by 2050.
The cost of generating power with clean
energy decreases gradually as technologies
improve. Meanwhile, the environmental cost of
traditional fossil energy is increasing. For that
reason, and to promote the development of the
clean energy industry, some developed countries
have begun to end subsidies for power generation
with clean energy. For example, Germany ended
its policy for a preferential feed-in tariff for
renewable power in June 2016. The European
Union began to limit subsidies from member
states to the renewables industry in 2017. In the
future, governments will increasingly use market
mechanisms as the clean energy industry
matures. The policies facilitating the replacement
of coal by clean energy will gradually change
into incentives to make power generation
efficient.
6.1.4 Government Support for the Coal
Industry Still Exists
Many countries once dominated by coal still
have a large coal industry, with many coal
workers. Support policies of different types are,
therefore, still needed from government.
The USA, for instance, launched in 2015 the
Partnership for Opportunity and Workforce and
Economic Revitalization (POWER) initiative,
which helps coal communities adapt to the new
energy landscape and reposition their economies.
The key points in the Federal Government’s
America First Energy Plan include ensuring
self-sufficiency in energy, revoking the Climate
Action Plan of the previous administration, and
supporting and promoting the clean development
of coal. These policies will help revitalise the
coal industry. In addition to building more
coal-fired power plants, Japan introduced policies to increase investment in scientific research
on energy saving and emissions reduction for
coal combustion and support the modernisation
of coal-fired power plants.
Government support focuses on technical
innovation, energy saving and emissions reduction. After analysing different countries’ coal
support policies, we found that governments
support innovation in coal combustion technologies, rather than simply supporting expansion of coal’s share of the energy mix, to
encourage energy saving and emissions reduction. Replacing coal with clean energy will take a
long time, and coal power is characterised by
low-cost and proven technologies. That is why
many countries strongly support energy-saving
and emissions-reduction technologies in the coal
sector, while optimising their energy and power
mix. They hope to achieve low-carbon use of
high-carbon energy by minimising the emissions
from coal combustion.
Special Report 4: China’s Energy System Revolution
475
at stimulating coal supply.
6.1.3 Clean Energy Is Rapidly Replacing
Coal, Thanks to Incentives
for Users
Countries aiming to abandon coal, even though
they may be highly dependent on it in the short
and medium terms or increasing their use of it,
might yet actively take part in global emissions
reduction governance and issue the necessary
policies to encourage power generation with clean
energy. North America is expected to increase the
share of clean energy consumption to 50% by
2025. Argentina plans to invest $2.1 billion in
wind, solar, biomass power and small hydropower
stations. Sweden plans to make 100% of its
energy green by 2040. Germany encourages distributed energy through a high level of energy
efficiency tax refunds and through financial support for energy-efficiency equipment. It is estimated that the proportion of renewable power in
total electricity consumption will increase to 40–
45% by 2025, and to 55–60% by 2035. England
supports distributed power projects through subsidies, credit loans and intelligent metering. Italy
supports distributed power projects through an
energy tax, credit loans, high prices, consumption
subsidies and other preferential policies—the
feed-in tariff for distributed power is 50% higher
than the domestic retail price. In Chile, the proportion of new energy will reach 50% by 2035 and
70% by 2050.
The cost of generating power with clean
energy decreases gradually as technologies
improve. Meanwhile, the environmental cost of
traditional fossil energy is increasing. For that
reason, and to promote the development of the
clean energy industry, some developed countries
have begun to end subsidies for power generation
with clean energy. For example, Germany ended
its policy for a preferential feed-in tariff for
renewable power in June 2016. The European
Union began to limit subsidies from member
states to the renewables industry in 2017. In the
future, governments will increasingly use market
mechanisms as the clean energy industry
matures. The policies facilitating the replacement
of coal by clean energy will gradually change
into incentives to make power generation
efficient.
6.1.4 Government Support for the Coal
Industry Still Exists
Many countries once dominated by coal still
have a large coal industry, with many coal
workers. Support policies of different types are,
therefore, still needed from government.
The USA, for instance, launched in 2015 the
Partnership for Opportunity and Workforce and
Economic Revitalization (POWER) initiative,
which helps coal communities adapt to the new
energy landscape and reposition their economies.
The key points in the Federal Government’s
America First Energy Plan include ensuring
self-sufficiency in energy, revoking the Climate
Action Plan of the previous administration, and
supporting and promoting the clean development
of coal. These policies will help revitalise the
coal industry. In addition to building more
coal-fired power plants, Japan introduced policies to increase investment in scientific research
on energy saving and emissions reduction for
coal combustion and support the modernisation
of coal-fired power plants.
Government support focuses on technical
innovation, energy saving and emissions reduction. After analysing different countries’ coal
support policies, we found that governments
support innovation in coal combustion technologies, rather than simply supporting expansion of coal’s share of the energy mix, to
encourage energy saving and emissions reduction. Replacing coal with clean energy will take a
long time, and coal power is characterised by
low-cost and proven technologies. That is why
many countries strongly support energy-saving
and emissions-reduction technologies in the coal
sector, while optimising their energy and power
mix. They hope to achieve low-carbon use of
high-carbon energy by minimising the emissions
from coal combustion.
Special Report 4: China’s Energy System Revolution
475