(Yicai) Jan. 24 -- Shandong, Sichuan, Anhui and other Chinese provinces have recently announced their energy-related aims for this year, which include building new power systems as well as increasing oil and gas development, in order to meet the energy deployment targets set in the 14th Five-Year Plan, which runs from 2021-2025.

Anhui province in eastern China will resolutely adhere to the bottom line of ensuring energy security, promoting the transformation to clean energy and providing support for high-quality development, the Anhui Provincial Energy Work Conference said.

Sichuan province in the southwest of the country is putting the construction of a new power system at the top of the agenda, according to the Sichuan Provincial Energy Work Conference. The province, which mainly relies on hydropower, has been suffering from power shortages recently due to extreme weather which has resulted in low water levels.

Shandong province is aiming to add more than 15 million kilowatts of renewable energy capacity this year, bringing the total to 100 million kW, according to the Shandong Provincial Energy Work Conference. And companies working in the energy sector will strive to make investments of around CNY200 billion (USD27.8 billion).

Energy security and green transformation will remain two core themes of the country’s energy-related efforts over the next few years, Lin Boqiang, dean of the China Institute for Studies in Energy Policy at Xiamen University, told Yicai.

The 14th Five-Year Plan aims to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse emissions per unit of gross domestic product to 13.5 percent and 18 percent respectively and to achieve 87.5 percent of days with good air quality in big cities.

But last month the country’s macro-economic planner, the National Development and Reform Commission, said that all three indicators are progressing slower than expected. So far, China has not yet announced its energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP for last year.

Although the country is lagging behind on its energy consumption and greenhouse emission targets, safety and stability remain the priority, Lin said.

Editor: Kim Taylor