Governance of the Electricity Sector

Abstract

This chapter shows how key elements of the governance of China’s electrical power sector have evolved over the past twenty years. It will focus on such issues as policy paradigms and priorities, government and industry structures, the distribution of power and influence, the bal- ance between administrative and economic instruments, and the links with trends in the wider economy and other sectors. The key political and eco- nomic importance of the power sector has meant that the government remains deeply involved in many aspects of the sector, from enterprise ownership to tariff setting, and has allowed market forces to play only a limited role. The recent round of reforms launched since 2015 marks a further incremental step in enhancing the role of market forces.