Nepal earthquake damages hydropower dams; China's Atomic Energy Act expected to be in legislative plans

（2015/04/27-2015/05/03）

Review of International Energy News
◆The China Three Gorges Company said that the Nepal earthquake, which registered 7.9 on the Richter scale, caused serious damage to the 111-megawatt Rasuwagadhi Hydropower station, which it started to build two years ago 67 kilometers (41 miles) west of the quake’s epicenter.
◆A new study from the Joint Research Centre of European Commission (JRC), Smart Grid Laboratory Survey Inventory 2015, obtains a better picture of the ongoing smart grid developments in order to provide an overview of the current facilities, to highlight trends in research and investments and to identify existing gaps.
◆West Texas Intermediate crude prices rallied by more than 3% on 29th April to as high as $58.81 per barrel, which is another year-to-date high for the commodity.
◆By 2035 China are projected to become the world’s largest energy importer, overtaking Europe, as import dependence rises from 15% to 23%, according to BP Energy Outlook 2035.

Review of Domestic Energy News
◆China's Atomic Energy Act, the draft of which was initiated in 1984, is expected to be included in legislative plans in 2016, aiming to ensure nuclear safety and security.
◆With the supply-demand balance of electricity in China, China Q1 electricity consumption went up only 1% as economy slows.
◆China is to reduce subsidies for new energy cars by 20 percent in 2017-2018 and 40 percent in 2019-2020 compared to figures for 2016, despite the nation being far from its green car deployment goals.
◆Chinese energy giant Petro China said its net profit plunged 82 percent year-on-year in the first three months of the year, blaming the plunge in international oil prices.
◆Sichuan Rich Reid Energy Development Co., Ltd, a company engaged in natural gas, shale gas and coal energy investment business, has normally operated the first power generation plant using shale gas in China.