Energy Internet needs to be practical rather than just a hype

China Energy Storage Network: Do you remember when you first heard about the Internet? Today, we are always using email, search engines, and smartphones. While the Internet is everywhere, another network has quietly opened up: the energy Internet.

Jeremy Rifkin, an American economist, is the proponent and advocate of the Energy Internet. In his definition, the Energy Internet will be a huge network that can effectively provide electricity to anyone anywhere. The digital age will make the energy system decentralized, efficient and reliable.

In the 19th century, steam engines propelled the world forward; in the 20th century, electricity and telephones shortened the distance of communication; in the 21st century, people are speeding up on the information superhighway. "The point-to-point distribution of the network and the collaborative distribution of communications make the new energy system an ideal energy supply model, and the core of this system is renewable energy," Rifkin asserted.

If building the energy internet is a marathon, the starting gun has been fired and the policy has been set: in January this year, the National Energy Administration announced the first batch of 23 multi-energy complementary integrated optimization demonstration projects; in March, the National Energy Administration announced the results of the first batch of "Internet + Smart Energy" (Energy Internet) demonstration projects, with a total of 56 demonstration projects.

As soon as the starting gun was fired, many heroes emerged. Faced with the trillion-level market and a wide variety of development opportunities, various capitals could no longer hold back and rushed out of the crowd to take the lead. Whether it is wind power, photovoltaics, energy storage, new energy vehicles, electricity sales, carbon trading, or traditional oil, gas and coal, search engine construction, website operation, home appliance sales, or capital operation, all want to touch the energy interconnection network.

Everyone has seen the opportunity. The new energy service system based on the energy Internet will give rise to a variety of model innovations and market space, just as the opening of postal express services 10 years ago led to the prosperity of the express delivery industry and e-commerce.

Energy Internet has also shown its "capacity is greatness" posture. However, the construction of energy Internet cannot be blown up by investment wind or policy "heart booster". It needs to rely on scientific and practical work, fully integrate intelligent elements into the whole chain of energy production, transmission, storage, utilization and transaction, and make my country's entire energy system realize "great shift" from "deep black" to "deep green", rather than dyeing green or edging green.

Whether it is called multi-energy complementary integrated optimization or "Internet + smart energy" or other names, the construction of energy Internet must be down-to-earth and not be arbitrage. We must adhere to international standards, be based on China's reality, and position ourselves at a high point to build this network of energy interconnection.

The realization of the energy Internet is not a one-day task. my country's energy industry has both the task of catching up and the potential to overtake quickly. The battle line is long. Energy people must not only roll up their sleeves and work hard, but also work one after another. It is the greater good to fulfill the historical mission of China's energy revolution with practical work.

We look forward to a number of practical projects springing up to truly realize the interconnection between information and energy fields and realize the beautiful dream of mankind's free use of energy.