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Demand for electricity in China kept accelerating in recent years; moreover, there exist serious mismatches among the distribution of power demand, energy resources, and power generation infrastructure across different regions in China, both of which indicate a necessity of a holistic and integrated approach to the strategic planning and development of its power industry. Material benefits could be realized by ensuring that the long term development of the power system is optimized by taking into consideration the different regional dynamics and characteristics. This paper proposes a multi-region optimization model that can deliver insights into how planning of the long term development of China’s power sector could minimize the total cost of China’s power sector by considering regional variations in availabilities of resources and inter-region power transmission line capacity. A case study considered how investment decisions to expand and alter the existing generation mix could be optimized across a timeframe from 2011 to 2050. By comparing results between single and multi-region optimizations, it was possible to show the likely impact on how investment decisions would differ when regional differences were taken into account. The multi-region optimization arguably better reflects and considers conditions and challenges in the real world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Along with high-speed economic development and increasing energy consumption, the Chinese Government faces a growing pressure to maintain the balance between energy supply and demand. In 2009, China has become both the largest energy consumer and CO2 emitting country in the world. In this case, the inappropriate energy consumption structure should be changed. As an alternative, a suitable infrastructure for the implementation of renewable energy may serve as a long-term sustainable solution. The perspective of a 100% renewable energy system has been analyzed and discussed in some countries previously. In this process, assessment of domestic renewable energy sources is the first step. Then appropriate methodologies are needed to perform energy system analyses involving the integration of more sustainable strategies. Denmark may serve as an example of how sustainable strategies can be implemented. The Danish system has demonstrated the possibility of converting into a 100% renewable energy system. This paper discusses the perspective of renewable energy in China firstly, and then analyses whether it is suitable to adopt similar methodologies applied in other countries as China approaches a renewable energy system. The conclusion is that China’s domestic renewable energy sources are abundant and show the possibility to cover future energy demand; the methodologies used to analyse a 100% renewable energy system are applicable in China. Therefore, proposing an analysis of a 100% renewable energy system in China is not unreasonable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]