EU Toughens Methane Oversight, Rejects U.S. Exemption Request; China's NEA to Strengthen Synergistic Planning for Renewables in 15th Five-Year Plan
（2025/12/15—2025/12/21）
Author：Hao-Wang
International Energy News
1. EU Toughens Methane Oversight, Rejects U.S. Exemption Request
The European Union has further strengthened its methane emission regulations, mandating that LNG carriers quantify and report leakage. This move has intensified pressure on international energy suppliers, drawing public opposition from the United States and Qatar. Washington formally requested an exemption for U.S. oil and gas exports and a reporting delay until 2035, arguing that suppliers ensuring European energy security should not face penalties. However, the EU remains firm, stating that while compliance procedures may be simplified, core legislation will not be altered. As industry players shift from technical debates to compliance planning, the friction between environmental standards and energy trade security continues to escalate.
2. AI Power Demand Drives $4B Deal: Blackstone to Acquire MacLean Power Systems
Driven by skyrocketing AI power demand and a wave of U.S. grid upgrades, private equity giant Blackstone is finalizing a $4 billion acquisition of MacLean Power Systems, outbidding Swiss industrial leader ABB. MacLean, a century-old manufacturer, is a dominant player in the North American transmission hardware market, producing critical components such as insulators and lightning arresters for high-voltage lines and data center power systems. As power shortages for data centers loom, grid infrastructure has become a premier asset for capital markets. This deal underscores the growing industry consensus that "power is the foundation of computing."
3. Kazakhstan’s Largest Solar-plus-Storage Project Breaks Ground
On December 15, construction officially began on a 300MW solar-plus-storage project in Turkistan, Kazakhstan. Invested by China Energy Engineering Corporation (CEEC), it is the largest single-unit project of its kind in the country and the first to launch under the China-Kazakhstan renewable energy cooperation framework. With a total investment of approximately $307 million, the project includes 300MW of solar capacity and a 90MW/360MWh storage system. Once operational, it will provide 674 million kWh of clean electricity annually and reduce CO2 emissions by 2.6 million tons, marking a significant milestone in "Belt and Road" energy cooperation and Kazakhstan’s green transition.
Domestic Energy News
1. NEA to Strengthen Synergistic Planning for Renewables in 15th Five-Year Plan
China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) recently announced that the "15th Five-Year Plan" for renewable energy will prioritize synergistic planning across power grids, energy storage, and land use. Latest data shows that as of May 2025, the country’s combined wind and solar capacity reached 1.65 billion kW, accounting for 45.7% of total installed capacity and officially surpassing thermal power as the nation’s primary power source. Moving forward, authorities will refine renewable energy consumption mechanisms and collaborate with the Ministry of Natural Resources to secure land for large-scale energy bases. This systemic approach aims to resolve source-grid coordination challenges and ensure the effective implementation of national energy goals at the local level.
2. 22 Provinces Finalize Renewable Price Bidding, Bridging the Gap to Market-Based Pricing
As of mid-December 2025, 22 Chinese provinces have released bidding results for the "mechanism electricity price" under Document No. 136. The bidding involved nearly 100,000 projects, with prices ranging from 0.1954 to 0.4155 RMB/kWh. While rates are higher in demand centers like Shanghai and Hainan, they remain lower in resource-rich western regions such as Gansu and Xinjiang. Notably, 14 provinces did not reach their full capacity quotas due to stricter bidding rules, reflecting a policy shift toward cost control and technical efficiency over blind expansion. As a transition from fixed benchmark tariffs to a market-based system, this mechanism provides a revenue "safety net" through price-difference settlement, stabilizing returns for renewable projects amidst market volatility.
3. 28 Provinces Unveil "15th FYP" Hydrogen Blueprints, Targeting a Multi-Trillion RMB Market
As the "15th Five-Year Plan" takes shape, 28 Chinese provinces have integrated hydrogen into their industrial roadmaps. With the central government designating hydrogen as a strategic "future industry," 10 provinces, including Guangdong and Shandong, have positioned it as a core economic growth engine. Resource-rich regions like Inner Mongolia and Jilin are focusing on "green hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol" clusters and long-distance pipelines, while hubs like Beijing and Sichuan prioritize core technology and transport corridors. This nationwide push for the "production-storage-transport-refueling-application" chain solidifies hydrogen’s strategic role in China’s energy transition, providing a pathway for deep decarbonization and significant economic potential.
(Main news sources: CCTVNEWS APP, International Energy Network, China Energy Network, National Energy Administration, China Energy News)
