BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhuanet) -- Difficult issues have to be solved before the newly approved Renewable Energy Law takes effect on Jan.1, 2006, experts said here Saturday.

    On Feb. 28, Chinese top legislature passed the Renewable Energy Law to ease the energy strain, ensure the country's energy security and better protect the ecological environment.

    Wang Fengchun, an official with the Environment and Resources Protection Committee of National People's Congress, said it took only one and half years to enact this law with no oppositions.

    "This is very unique in China, which means that most people have realized the importance of renewable energy," Wang said.

    However, this also shows that at present renewable energy stillhas little impact on daily life and the national economy, Wang said.

    "Issues relating sensitive material such as coal, oil usually need to be discussed from time to time and cannot be approved in ashort time," Wang said.

    In some countries, renewable energy consumption has accounted for more than ten percent of the country's total energy consumption. While China's is only one percent. According to the mid and long-term draft plan of renewable energy that the State Development and Reform Commission (SDRC) has just made, China aimsto increase the ratio to 10 percent by 2020, an amount equal to 300 million tons of coal.

    Wang said the law is a framework of policies: all levels of government should set goals of consumption, electricity generated by renewable energy can be transferred by national grid and electricity price should be set on the basis of cost.

    The law authorized "the country's department in charge of energy" to list specific rules on how to develop renewable energy.

    Liang Zhipeng, deputy director of the Center for Renewable Energy Development under the SDRC, said that the difficulties havenot disappeared after the law was enacted. In the ten months before the law takes effect, large amount of work should be done, such as setting consumption goals for local governments, setting technical standard and price of electricity that renewable energy generates. Interest of all circles should also be coordinated.

    He said these all need time and effort from all circles, especially the central government. Enditem