The status quo analysis and policy suggestions on promoting China's hydropower development

Abstract Hydropower is known as a typical renewable energy with maturely developed technology as well as large-scale exploitation. The average hydropower exploitation has exceeded 60% of the total resources in developed countries. With plentiful water energy and an exploitable hydropower of 542 million kW h, China ranks the world's first of hydropower resources. By the end of 2012, the installed capacity of China's hydropower had reached 249 million kW h, accounting for 46% of total exploitable amount. Due to the gradual deficiency of fossil energy and serious concern of environmental protection, hydropower was defined as one of the key power sources for the power industry development during the 12th Five-year Plan Period. However, owing to the influence of project approval system, relocation policy, on-grid price, taxes and development costs, China's hydropower development still did not achieve the expected target during the 11th Five-year Plan Period. To overcome the current challenges and promote a rapid and sound development of the industry, it is necessary to comprehensively carry out investigations on the systems, working procedures and protective policies for hydropower development at the state level.