Chapter IV Technological Advances in Energy Conservation

Article 56 The department in charge of energy conservation under the State Council shall, in conjunction with the department in charge of science and technology, publish the outlines for the policies on technologies for energy conservation, to provide guidance in the research, development and wide application of energy-saving technologies.

Article 57 The people’s governments at or above the county level shall make research and development of energy-saving technologies the key areas for their investment in science and technology. They shall support the scientific research institutions and enterprises in research in the application of energy-saving technologies, formulate the norms for energy conservation, develop general and key energy-saving technologies, and promote technological innovations in energy conservation and the transformation of such technological achievements.

Article 58 The department in charge of energy conservation under the State Council shall, in conjunction with the relevant departments under the same, compile and publish a catalogue of energy-saving technologies and products for popularization, guide the energy consumers in adopting advanced energy-saving technologies and products.

The department in charge of energy conservation under the State Council shall, along with the relevant departments under the same, be responsible for organizing scientific research in the major energy conservation projects and demonstration for energy conservation demonstration projects and construction of key energy conservation projects.

Article 59 The people’s governments at or above the county level shall, under the principles of doing what is appropriate in light of local conditions, complementing multiple forms of energy, making synthetic use of energy and laying stress on results, enhance energy conservation in agriculture and in the rural areas, and increase their input of funds to spread the application of energy-saving technologies and the use of energy-saving products in agriculture and in the rural areas.

The relevant departments in charge of agriculture, science and technology, etc. shall support and spread the application of energy-saving technologies and the use of energy-saving products in agricultural production and in agricultural product processing, storage, transportation, etc., and encourage the replacement and elimination of agricultural machines and fishing vessels that consume excessive quantities of energy.

The State encourages and supports the rural areas in their great effort to develop methane, spread the application of the technologies for utilization of such renewable sources of energy as biomass energy, solar energy and wind-power and, under the principle of scientific planning and exploitation in an orderly manner, to develop small-scale hydro-power generation, popularize energy-saving rural housing and cooking range, and it encourages the growth of bioenergy crops by making use of non-arable land and the extensive development of fuel forest and other forests used for energy.