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This article focuses on Shanxi, a major coal province in China, and details its exploration and breakthroughs in the emission reduction and utilization of low-concentration methane (mainly derived from coal mine gas). Low-concentration methane emission is a significant challenge in methane emission reduction in China's energy sector, particularly in Shanxi, a major coal mining area. This region has experienced a prolonged methane emission issue due to technological limitations, delayed policies, and unfavorable economic factors. Shanxi has charted a course from "discharging" to "burning" methane through locally adapted technologies, such as "low-concentration gas direct-fired heating." This strategic shift is in line with the revision of national standards and the strengthening of local policies. Direct-fired technology has become a key solution to reducing low-concentration gas emissions thanks to its high energy efficiency, low investment, and strong adaptability. Currently, relevant teams are expanding this technology to broader industrial fields such as glass manufacturing. They are also calling on existing safety regulations to catch up with technological innovations, opening more space for low-concentration methane management.

In recent years, while continuing to ensure national coal supply, Shanxi Province has accelerated its transition toward efficient, intelligent coal development and green, integrated mining practices. Recently, the Shanxi Coshare Innovation Institute of Energy & Environment and iGDP jointly published “Methane Emission Reduction in Coal-Dependent Regions: The Shanxi Experience,” which explores how Shanxi is leveraging policy frameworks, technological innovation, and market mechanisms to promote the resourceful utilization of coal mine methane under the backdrop of China’s “dual carbon” goals. The report highlights that Shanxi, as the province with the highest methane emissions in China, has significantly improved methane capture and utilization rates through diverse technological pathways—including power generation from drained gas, direct combustion for heating, and regenerative thermal oxidation (RTO) for combined heat and power. It has also established a relatively comprehensive support system encompassing legislation, policy targets, fiscal incentives, carbon market engagement, and technological R&D. Drawing on case studies from representative mines such as Sihe, Fusheng, and Yuanxiang, the report demonstrates the feasibility of achieving co-benefits in both emission reductions and economic returns. At the same time, it stresses the need for stricter enforcement of emission standards and the establishment of a robust methane monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) system. By addressing these challenges, Shanxi aims to provide a replicable and scalable model—the “Shanxi Solution”—for methane mitigation in resource-dependent regions worldwide.

A recent viewpoint article by The Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) focuses on Shandong Province's policy and practical explorations in vehicle-to-grid (V2G) interaction. The article discusses how, through price mechanism reforms and market design, new energy vehicles can be transformed into flexible resources for the power system. It outlines Shandong's recent pilot policies, including the electricity discharge pricing mechanism, time-of-use electricity pricing for residential charging stations, and market price incentives in the spot market. The article also offers recommendations for further improving compensation mechanisms, optimizing market signals, strengthening grid planning, and increasing residential participation, all aimed at promoting the nationwide expansion and low-carbon transformation of vehicle-to-grid interaction.

On May 28, the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP), a technical partner of ACTION 2035, published an opinion article titled Promoting Green Development in Buildings Requires Moving Beyond the Electricity Ratio and Focusing on Efficient Equipment. The article discusses key issues related to green development in China's building sector. In promoting building electrification to achieve the dual carbon goals, the focus should not solely be on increasing the proportion of electricity consumption. Instead, it is crucial to promote high-efficiency electrical equipment, especially heat pump technology, and improve supporting policy indicators. The article analyzes the risks of solely emphasizing an increase in the electricity consumption ratio. Through case comparisons (such as heat pumps vs. electric boilers) and reviews of domestic and international policy practices, it demonstrates that the key to transforming the building energy structure lies in combining a high proportion of end-use electrified equipment with a power grid featuring high penetration of renewable energy. However, the current approach of narrowly pursuing a higher electricity consumption ratio may paradoxically lead to increased energy consumption and carbon emissions. Therefore, the promotion of high-efficiency equipment should be the core strategy, with priority given to energy-saving technologies such as heat pumps. Establishing specific, measurable targets for efficient equipment application, setting caps on fossil energy consumption, phasing out inefficient heating methods, and standardizing calculation methods are deemed more effective in reducing building carbon emissions, controlling social costs, and driving a substantive green transformation of the building energy structure than simply setting electricity ratio goals. The article calls for a more scientific and comprehensive indicator system to be established in the 15th Five-Year Plan.