Chi Gao supports RAP’s research and outreach in China, especially on topics such as electricity market design, resource adequacy and renewable energy integration. He works with partner organizations and scholars to advance RAP’s mission. Chi also supports RAP's global flexible demand work through the Global Expertise Center.
Gao joined RAP in 2022 after graduating from his master’s program, where he worked with Dr. Michael Davidson and scholars at Tsinghua University on modeling China’s renewable energy pathway for a successful transition toward its 2060 carbon neutrality goal. During his study, Gao also interned with the Southeast Asia program at the Stimson Center, where he worked on issues related to the energy, water and food nexus in the Greater Mekong Subregion using geospatial methods.
Chi Gao earned a master’s degree in Chinese economic and political affairs with a Chinese environment concentration from the School of Global Policy and Strategy at the University of California, San Diego. He received groundwork training in the politics of energy systems and a suite of quantitative methods that support energy systems analysis: econometrics, optimization methods for power system planning, and geospatial analysis. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and computer science from UC San Diego.
How Chi Gao is Energizing Change
构建现货市场“减震器”：虚拟电厂平抑价格波动与终端用户保护路径探析
随着电力现货市场建设的不断深入，放宽价格上下限对于反映真实的稀缺信号并激励全网灵活性资源至关重要。然而，在电力市场尚处于发展阶段的国家，决策者往往对放宽价格限制持谨慎态度，因为将零售端暴露于扩大的价格波动中，在缺乏有效防护机制的情况下，可能会给消费者带来巨大的财务风险。本报告深入探讨了虚拟电厂如何发挥电力市场“减震器”的作用。通过提升价格透明度、应用自动化调度技术以及引入创新售电合同，虚拟电厂能够成功保护终端用户免受极端价格波动的冲击，同时保障市场高效配置资源的能力。 本文首刊于《能源决策参考》，2026年5月 As electricity spot markets expand, widening price limits is essential to reflect… Read More +
如何实现灵活性资源的精准匹配
在全球电力系统加速向可再生能源转型的背景下，“系统灵活性”已成为一项至关重要的核心资源，但目前行业的认知与重视程度仍显不足。当前，灵活性匮乏的痛点已日益凸显：负电价频发、新能源弃风弃光率不断攀升，以及净负荷陡峭爬坡给电网运行带来的严峻考验。 与传统意义上仅关注满足峰值负荷的单一“容量”概念不同，“灵活性”具有高度的多维特征——它因应用场景、响应速度和持续时长的不同而千差万别。为保障新型电力系统安全可靠且经济高效地运行，政策制定者亟需打破传统思维，全面升级现有的系统规划体系。 本报告总结了国际最佳实践，提出了一套具体、可复制的行动路线图，以确保系统的灵活性需求得到精准评估与有效满足。我们建议采取以下三项核心举措： 科学评估与量化缺口： 构建科学、透明、基于多情景的评估体系，精准识别系统在爬坡能力、新能源消纳或快速频率响应等方面的特定灵活性缺口。 完善定价与补偿机制： 推进电力市场机制迭代，引入具有针对性的交易品种，为不同维度的灵活性提供明确的价格信号与合理的收益补偿。 深度释放现有资源潜力： 破除技术与规则壁垒，唤醒各类具备调节潜力的资源。特别是对于共址储能（配建储能）等尚未被充分利用的表后资产（BTM），需确保其能够直接参与市场并响应价格激励。 报告充分汲取了全球前沿的创新实践——包括欧盟的全局灵活性评估方法、中国山东的爬坡辅助服务市场、澳大利亚的快速频率响应机制，以及美国加州的共址资源管理模式。基于这些极具实操性的洞察，本文旨在推动灵活性资源与电网实际需求实现精准、高效的匹配。 本文首刊于《能源决策参考》，2026年第9期… Read More +
What are you working on that is most crucial to RAP’s mission and why is it crucial?
RAP aims to offer insightful guidance on energy-related matters. A significant portion of my endeavors is dedicated to China's power sector reform. Numerous international best practices remain concealed from audiences within China. The pivotal task, however, lies in articulating these experiences within the framework of Chinese institutions, making them both pertinent and accessible. This approach imparts valuable lessons capable of shedding light on the formidable challenges confronting China's power sector reformers.
What’s your passion outside of RAP/clean energy?
In my most recent personal endeavor, I've embarked on a journey to become a naturalist. The breathtaking natural beauty of Southern California, with its magnificent mountains, has become my hideaway. I'm engaged in an exploration of plants, birds, and geology, immersing myself in the process of learning, sketching, observing a world that brings me solace and joy.
If I were a superhero, my superpower would be transforming myself into a shorebird.