State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC)
| Director: | You Quan |
| Deputy Directors: | Shi Yubo Wang Yumin Wang Yeping |
| Address: | 86 Xi Chang'an Jie, Xicheng District Beijing 100031 |
| Telephone: | 86-10-6605-8800 |
| Website: | www.serc.gov.cn |
| Departments: | General Office (International Cooperation Office); Law and Regulations Office (Electricity Structure Reform Office); Market Supervision Office; Electricity Distribution Supervision Office; Electricity Pooling Supervision Office; Price and Finance Supervision Office (Investigation Bureau); Personnel and Training Office (Party Discipline Office); Discipline Inspection Group and Supervision Bureau; Safety Supervision Bureau |
- Research and produce regulations and policy recommendations on electricity supervision and specific rules related to operating electricity markets
- Participate in the formulation of national electricity development plans, including drafts on electricity market development, regional electricity market set-up, and the establishment of electricity exchange markets
- Supervise electricity market operations, including the standardization of market processes; enforcing competition where applicable; and supervising electricity transfer, pooling, and non-competitive electricity generation
- Formulate and regulate standards for electricity technology, safety, and quality; administer electricity service licensing; coordinate with environmental protection authorities regarding policies and standards related to the electricity industry
- Produce recommendations for government price regulators on electricity price adjustment according to market conditions; investigate and inspect relevant electricity prices; and ensure price standards are being implemented across all categories
SERC was formally established in early 2003, a move that coincided with the break up of China's power monopoly, State Power Corp. The dismantling of State Power and the separation of its generation and distribution components were prerequisite to the establishment of an independent regulator that would bring oversight to an industry long resistant to market reforms. SERC's tasks include supervising the transfer and restructuring of State Power's assets and managing the rivalries among its spin-offs, as well as pushing forward key efforts to introduce viable power pooling and electricity market reforms seen in pilot programs since 1998.
SERC handles many of the industry supervision duties formerly under State Power Corp., as well as many of SETC's former responsibilities for regulating and supervising the power sector. Though SERC operates as an independent industry regulator reporting directly to the State Council, its authority remains somewhat circumscribed because NDRC plays an important role in setting electricity prices and approving investments.
Return to PART VI: State Council Directly Administered Offices