Environmental Policy and Risk Regulatory Framework for Sustainable Tidal Current Energy in China

The advancement of sustainable energy is a key component of the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Technology advancements have made tidal current energy (TCE) a promising renewable energy source. China possesses abundant TCE resources and has gradually incorporated TCE into its energy and marine development policies. In China, TCE projects are currently being implemented on a large scale. However, despite policy-level recognition, TCE development in China has received limited regulatory attention, particularly with respect to environmental protection and ecological risk governance. Existing governance frameworks largely rely on general marine environmental and ecological policies, which are insufficient to address the three-dimensional, underwater characteristics and cumulative ecological risks. This study analyzes the evolution of China’s TCE-related laws and policies and identifies key deficiencies in current environmental regulation. To promote the sustainable TCE projects, the paper proposes tentative recommendations to promote the sustainable development of TCE in China, including the formulation of specialized environmental impact assessment guidelines grounded in the precautionary principle, future policies for addressing the cumulative environmental impact of large-scale TCE deployment, and the establishment of an environmental risk assessment system tailored to the data limitations and ecological characteristics of TCE exploitation.