Build the Yangtze River Delta Energy Internet Community to promote diversified and large-scale development

General Secretary Xi Jinping has clearly elaborated on the new connotation of the energy revolution, namely "four revolutions and one cooperation": promote the energy consumption revolution to curb irrational energy consumption; promote the energy supply revolution to establish a diversified supply system; promote the energy technology revolution to drive industrial upgrading; promote the energy system revolution to open up the fast lane of energy development; strengthen international cooperation in all aspects to achieve energy security under open conditions.

The development of energy internet is an effective strategic approach to implement the energy revolution. Energy internet is the abbreviation of "Internet + smart energy". It is a new form of energy industry development that deeply integrates the Internet with energy production, transmission, storage, consumption and energy market. It has the main characteristics of intelligent equipment, multi-energy coordination, information symmetry, decentralized supply and demand, flat system and open transactions. In the new round of global scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, the deep integration of Internet concepts, advanced information technology and energy industry is promoting the vigorous rise of new technologies, new models and new formats of energy internet.

Energy Internet is also an important strategic support for promoting the energy revolution. It is of great significance to increase the proportion of renewable energy, promote the clean and efficient use of fossil energy, improve the overall efficiency of energy, promote the opening of the energy market and industrial upgrading, form new economic growth points, and enhance the level of international energy cooperation. In promoting the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, energy (transportation) is the lifeline, the foundation, and an important collaborative content. With its first-mover advantage in energy technology, Shanghai has always been at the forefront of the country in exploring the energy Internet. It has gone through the origin of distributed energy, the attempt of smart energy networks, the development process from smart grids to microgrids, multi-energy complementarity, and then to smart energy and energy Internet, laying a good physical foundation. Taking the lead in launching and leading the innovative cooperation of the Yangtze River Delta Energy Internet will fully "empower" the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta.

1. Realize the integration of gas and electricity, complementarity between wind and solar, storage of energy for the people and response to supply and demand

On June 1, 2018, the Yangtze River Delta region released the "Three-Year Action Plan for Integrated Development in the Yangtze River Delta (2018-2020)" at a symposium of major leaders in the region, which listed energy mutual assistance and mutual protection as one of the seven key areas of cooperation. Building a Yangtze River Delta energy internet community, achieving gas-electricity integration and wind-solar complementarity, energy storage for the people and supply-demand response will help build the Yangtze River Delta into an Asia-Pacific gateway for global resource allocation and a world-class urban cluster with global competitiveness. Specifically, it is mainly reflected in the following aspects:

First, it is conducive to implementing the national energy revolution development strategy.

At the consumption level, the Energy Internet innovates energy use, drives more convenient, economical, and inclusive user services, guides consumer energy use behavior and green consumption methods, and forces producers to provide fairer, richer, and higher-quality energy services. At the production level, the Energy Internet can improve the efficiency of traditional energy systems, connect energy production and consumption, break through the original information islands, and promote a safer, cleaner, more efficient, and more sustainable energy system.

On the technical level, the energy Internet promotes technological revolution and brings about huge industrial opportunities; at the same time, energy interconnection will bring about new application scenarios, create new industrial demands, and promote the development of new businesses and new models such as energy trade, energy finance, energy big data, and energy blockchain.

At the institutional level, the energy internet responds to the institutional reforms of electricity, oil and gas through systematic changes and docking with market demand, and promotes the process of market-oriented reform. At the international cooperation level, energy projects are advantageous projects for "going out". With the help of Internet thinking, my country's foreign energy cooperation in the future can significantly reduce investment, operation and maintenance costs, improve management level and efficiency, and become more competitive.

Second, it is conducive to solving the conflicting energy and environmental protection issues.

From the perspective of a single province or city, the traditional energy security supply method of relying on more backup generators and paying more for capacity electricity has reached its limit. The Yangtze River Delta region has similar development levels, industrial bases, energy supply conditions, and user demands. The structural contradictions in energy supply are prominent, and the development of renewable energy faces multiple bottlenecks. At the same time, consumers expect energy consumption to be more economical and inclusive, and the living environment to be more ecological and green. In the future, when all provinces and cities are entering the peak and trough of energy consumption at the same time, the traditional "neighborhood assistance" approach will no longer be applicable, and must be solved with the help of Internet technology, through supply and demand interaction and innovative means.

Third, it is conducive to striving to be the first in the new international competition.

The previous round of economic growth driven by attracting foreign investment has enabled the Yangtze River Delta region to accumulate technology, knowledge, talent and management capabilities. As a new form of industry, once the energy Internet leads development, it will have the right to speak in international rule-making. This technological breakthrough and industrial upgrading will greatly promote the Yangtze River Delta's energy level and enhance its global influence, and has profound strategic significance for driving industrial development, mastering leading technologies, and exploring innovative business models.

As an important gateway for opening up to the outside world, Shanghai has taken the lead in leading the development of energy Internet, which is also of great strategic value for building a science and technology innovation center with global influence and occupying the commanding heights of international energy and Internet technologies.

2. Focus on promoting the diversified and large-scale development of the Yangtze River Delta energy internet

Major countries are taking action to promote the development of energy internet. Currently, there are mainly Energy Internet in the United States and Smart Grid with similar features, and Internet of Energy in Germany.

Let's first look at the practice of the United States with smart grid as the main line. The United States has a vast territory, and its power grid and oil and gas pipelines have a long history and are in urgent need of maintenance. After learning from the lessons of large-scale power outages, the US government has promoted the construction of smart grids to a national strategy, focusing on ensuring the safety and efficiency of power supply. At present, the United States is vigorously promoting the construction of smart grids, hoping to ensure the reliability, safety, efficiency and environmental friendliness of the power grid through the application of advanced sensing technology, equipment technology and decision support systems. Research on the energy Internet explores relying on more dynamic market entities. Scientific research institutions such as North Carolina State University, energy companies such as Tesla, Internet companies such as Google, and general equipment companies such as IBM have entered the fields of electronic technology, big data, cloud computing, electricity sales, electric vehicles, etc., and actively explored innovative technology paths and business models for the energy Internet.

Let's look at the German technology pilot under the background of energy transformation. In the context of comprehensively improving energy cleanliness, Germany's exploration path of energy Internet is mainly implemented in the form of government demonstration projects, which promotes energy system optimization and information and communication technology upgrades. At the same time, due to the government's firm promotion of power system reform and energy transformation, the main players in the power sales field are active, and technologies such as green energy consumption, demand response, and neighborhood electricity trading have become real-life scenarios.

China mainly promotes innovation and development through the "Internet + Smart Energy" approach. On the one hand, "Internet +" policies are intensively introduced to promote the implementation of energy Internet projects; on the other hand, energy planning and related energy policies guide and encourage the exploration of energy Internet. In addition, the reform of the power system has released huge policy space for the development of energy Internet, and the Global Energy Internet Cooperation Organization has played an active role.

In September 2015, President Xi Jinping proposed at the UN General Assembly Summit to "explore the construction of a global energy internet and promote the use of clean and green methods to meet global electricity demand", which was widely supported by the United Nations and the international community. In March 2016, the first council meeting of the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization was held in Beijing. At the meeting, the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization was unveiled.