The Energy Law of the People's Republic of China was passed in a vote, marking the official implementation of the foundational and guiding legal framework in China's energy sector. This law holds significant importance for solidifying the legal foundation of the energy industry, ensuring national energy security, and promoting green and low-carbon transformation. Ma Zhengping, Deputy Director of the Civil Law Office of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the National People's Congress, stated that explicitly defining the nation's energy strategy in law provides a roadmap for the high-quality development of energy in the new era.

The "Energy Law of the People's Republic of China" has finally come to fruition after years of development, a period during which the energy industry and society as a whole have reached a consensus. Wang Peng, Executive Dean of the National Energy Development Strategy Research Institute at North China Electric Power University, pointed out that this consensus stems from people's understanding of the green and low-carbon transformation of energy, the high-quality and secure development of energy, and the trend towards market-oriented energy development.

A responsible official from the Department of Legal and Institutional Reforms under the National Energy Administration stated that it is necessary to promptly establish the legal status of the new energy security strategy and promote the healthy development of the energy industry on the track of the rule of law. Associate Professor Chen Xinghua from the North China University of Technology pointed out that as reforms enter deeper waters, the interests of all parties become more intertwined and complex, urgently requiring a foundational law to comprehensively address new issues in the energy industry.

By the year, our country will strive to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality. This commitment marks that the resolution of the contradiction between our country's growing energy demand and net-zero emissions is imminent. Chen Xinghua believes that addressing the main contradiction of carbon neutrality requires the correct guidance and mandatory safeguards of legal regulations.

Han Xue, Deputy Director of the Energy Policy Research Office at the Resources and Environment Policy Research Institute of the Development Research Center of the State Council, stated that the Energy Law addresses major issues in the energy sector through provisions on principles, planning, development, utilization, market systems, reserves and emergencies, technological innovation, supervision and management, and legal responsibilities. It serves as a crucial legal safeguard and strategic support for ensuring the safe, stable operation and low-carbon development of China's energy system.

The Energy Law enshrines China's energy strategy and policy direction, establishes the energy management system, clarifies the rights and obligations of various entities, and provides legal safeguards for strengthening the foundation of energy security and promoting the green transformation and development of society. Ma Zhengping pointed out that as a key driver of global energy green and low-carbon transformation and climate change response, China's formulation of the Energy Law demonstrates its energy strategy and policy direction, contributing Chinese wisdom to the establishment of a fair, equitable, balanced, and inclusive global energy governance system.

The Energy Law establishes the status of the new energy security strategy in national development through legal means, clearly stating that energy work should adhere to domestic reliance, diversified security, prioritizing energy conservation, and green development, accelerating the construction of a new energy system that is clean, low-carbon, secure, and efficient. Han Xue noted that the Energy Law enumerates measures that can be taken in the event of energy shortages or supply disruptions, providing a foundational framework for the refinement of emergency response plans and corresponding institutional reserves for various energy types and regions.

The energy law places a prominent emphasis on the priority development and utilization of renewable energy, aligning with the global trend of energy transition. Xu Zhaoyuan, Deputy Director of the Industrial Economy Research Department of the Development Research Center of the State Council, stated that the energy law makes special provisions for the development and utilization of renewable energy sources such as hydropower, wind power, solar energy, biomass energy, geothermal energy, ocean energy, and hydrogen energy, clarifying the national policy direction and contributing to boosting confidence in the new energy industry.

In recent years, China has made significant breakthroughs in the development of wind power and photovoltaics, and the development of the hydrogen energy sector has also been remarkable. Jing Chunmei, Director of the Department of Energy and Green Low-Carbon Development Research at the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, believes that incorporating hydrogen energy into the energy law is not only a reflection of keeping pace with the times but also a response to societal concerns.

The Energy Law has a dedicated chapter on energy technology innovation, stipulating the general construction principles of the energy technology innovation system, clarifying the key areas and directions of energy technology innovation, which is of great significance for ensuring and guiding sufficient investment in innovation resources in the energy technology sector. Yang Lei, Dean of the Institute for Energy at Peking University, pointed out that the energy industry is shifting from being resource and capital-driven to being technology-driven.

Currently, China has enacted laws such as the Coal Law, the Electricity Law, the Energy Conservation Law, the Renewable Energy Law, and the Oil and Natural Gas Pipeline Protection Law, with the framework of the energy legal system being initially established. Ma Zhengping pointed out that in alignment with the new requirements of Chinese-style modernization for energy development, it is necessary to enact a foundational and guiding law in the energy sector, such as the Energy Law, to provide important basis for clarifying the positioning of different energy varieties and optimizing the relationships between them.

Jing Chunmei believes that the Energy Law fills the gaps in the top-level design of energy laws and regulations, forming a comprehensive and systematic energy legal system with the Energy Law as the leading framework, supported by several specific laws, and supplemented by administrative regulations and rules, marking an important milestone in China's efforts to strengthen the construction of an energy legal system and modernize governance capabilities.

The Energy Law stipulates the fundamental principles for the construction of the energy market, establishes the basic system for market allocation of energy resources, defines the mechanism for energy price formation, emphasizes the effective improvement of government regulatory efficiency, and is conducive to better leveraging the roles of both an effective market and a capable government, creating a stable, fair, transparent, and predictable environment for all business entities. Wu Zhonghu, a specially-appointed consultant of the Energy Law Research Society of the China Law Society, stated that the Energy Law serves as a regulation for government actions and market operations, and can integrate the two organically, overcoming market failures and improper government intervention in the market.

Xu Zhaoyuan told reporters that based on China's national conditions, energy development strategic goals, and actual energy development, the Energy Law addresses the direction, objectives, and principles of development in the energy sector, stipulates the responsibilities and obligations of relevant parties, and systematically guides major directions, important principles, and key tasks in China's energy sector development. It holds significant importance in promoting high-quality energy development and ensuring national energy security.