美国加州可再生能源配额制及对我国的启示

Renewable Portfolio Standard in California and its Enlightenment for China

配额制本质上是一种对可再生能源开发的激励机制,它的实施需要具备一定的前提条件,目前仍处于不断探索和发展阶段。配额制的实质是以最低成本开发可再生能源,它通常需要依托一个绿色证书市场。任何配额制基本上都包含了配额承担主体及合格的发电类型、配额目标的确定及分解、运作机制、成本分摊与惩罚措施等内容。世界上没有任何两个国家或地区的配额制是完全一致的,均是根据本国或本地区的实际情况而制定。加利福尼亚州是美国可再生能源发展较快,也是最早实施配额制的联邦州之一。加州配额制的配额承担主体主要是为终端用户供电的电力企业;运作机制是通过绿色证书来代替物理计量,以证书数量来反映配额承担主体的履约情况;实现配额义务的成本是通过终端销售电价疏导出去的。这些与英国和日本的配额制相同,而差异性体现在配额目标形式不同、指标分解原则不同以及对不同类型可再生能源的激励程度不同。我国在可再生能源配额制设计中需要关注与现行可再生能源政策的衔接、地区配额指标的差异化设计、地方政府的责任、可再生能源电量的计量以及保障措施等问题。

A quota system is,in nature,an incentive for renewable energy development,the implementation of which requires some pre-conditions.Such system is still in the exploration and early development stage.A quota system is virtually designed to develop renewable energy at the lowest possible cost and usually needs to rely on a Green Certificate market.Almost all quota systems consist of subjects using the quota,the determination and decomposition of eligible types of power generation and quota objectives,operating mechanism,cost sharing and punitive measures.No two countries or regions in the world have exactly the same quota system.All such systems are devised according to a country′s specifics.California is a state where the renewable energy industry is growing rapidly in the United States and is one of the earliest states implementing the renewable portfolio standard in the country.In California′s Renewable Portfolio Standard mechanism,the main subjects using the quota are power enterprises supplying electricity to end users,Green Certificate is used to replace physical measurement,i.e.,using the number of the certificate to reflect how well the quota subject fulfills contracts,and the cost of achieving quota obligations is digested through electricity prices for end users.These characteristics of California′s RPS are similar to those of the RPS in Britain and Japan,while the difference between these systems lies in the pattern of quota objectives,principles of target decomposition and intensity of incentives for different types of renewable energy sources.Major problems that China should pay attention to in devising its RPS include the connection with the existing renewable energy policies,the design of differentiated regional quota targets,the definition of responsibilities for local governments,the measurement of electricity generated using renewable energy sources,and measures to guarantee renewable energy-based power generation.