China plans to reform its power dispatching system, so as to save energy and cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, a CRI reporter learnt from the National Development and Reform Commission on August 27.

Current power dispatching systems in China allocate equal power generation hours to every power plant on the grid. However, under the premise of ensuring a stable power supply, the reform will give priority to power generated using clean energy recourses like wind energy, solar energy and ocean energy. For thermal power plants, the electricity generated is dispatched according to its coal-consuming level. Meaning low coal-consuming plants are encouraged to be fully put to use, while high coal-consuming plants should begin generating less electricity or even none.

Officials with the National Development and Reform Commission said that the reform would first start in five provinces and municipalities in the south of China and then spread to incorporate the whole country by January of next year.

According to estimates, under the new system, 90 million tonnes of raw coal, along with the emission of 0.216 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide and 2.2 million tonnes of sulfur dioxide, would be saved from absorption every year starting from 2010.