Natural Gas Pricing Mechanism Reform and its Impacts on Future Energy Options in China
Natural gas is the cleanest fossil fuel. In recent years, its demand in China has been increasing at a rapid pace, but its pricing mechanism is still based on the planned economy system and is not keeping up pace with that of its consumption. Therefore, reforming the existing pricing system is of great significance. This paper first reviews the evolution of the pricing mechanism of natural gas in China, and then examines with model predictions the feasibility of a nationwide implementation of the reform programs currently carried out in Guangdong and Guangxi and its possible impacts. The results show that the reform can: (a) benefit Chinese natural gas producers and importers by increasing their profits, (b) increase the production of natural gas and accelerate the development of the industry, (c) reduce the use of natural gas in the chemical industry and optimize the energy consumption structure in China, (d) change the current energy portfolio in China and achieve the goal of sustainable development, and (e) help Chinese companies enhance their ability of adapting to high prices and promote their international competitiveness.
Energy Prices, Subsidies and Resource Tax Reform in China
The Chinese leadership in November 2013 is determined to embark upon a new wave of comprehensive reforms in China. This is clearly reflected by the key decision of the Third Plenum of the 18th Central Committee of Communist Party of China to assign the market a decisive role in allocating resources. To have the market to play that role, getting the energy prices right is crucial. While the overall trend of China's energy pricing reform since 1984 has been moving towards a more market-oriented pricing mechanism, the pace and scale of the reform differ across energy types. This article discusses the evolution of price reforms for coal, petroleum products, natural gas and electricity in China, provides some analysis of these energy price reforms, and suggests that few areas of reforms could take place in order to have the market play that decisive role and help China's transition to a low-carbon economy.
Physical Principles of Wind Energy Conversion
The primary component of a wind turbine is the energy converter which transforms the kinetic energy contained in the moving air, into mechanical energy. For the initial discussions of principles, the exact nature of the energy converter is irrelevant. The extraction of mechanical energy from a stream of moving air with the help of a diskshaped, rotating wind energy converter follows its own basic rules.