By DU JUAN (chinadaily.com.cn)
China's top economic planner, the National Development and Reform Commission, announcedon Wednesday it would improve the country's on-grid hydropower pricing mechanism to boostinvestment in the sector for sustainable development.
Announcement of the new policy, which has not been clearly defined yet, implies the governmentmight raise the generator's prices of hydropower.
The NDRC said it would consider both the average cost of networks for electricity and thegeneration cost of hydropower plants.
In the past, local governments owned the rights to hydropower pricing. Hydropower prices areusually lower than on-grid electricity generated by other traditional forms.
According to the National Energy Administration, China added 29 gigawatts of hydropowergeneration capacity last year, to a total of 278 gW.