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.
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
完善分时电价设计，促进车网互动
本文探讨了电动汽车充电分时电价的优化设计，提出了三个主要改进方向： 涵盖系统长期边际成本：当前的分时电价设计主要基于负荷或净负荷曲线，未能充分反映全面的系统成本。建议将长期成本纳入考虑，包括发电容量和输配电容量的扩建费用。文章特别强调了配电网扩容成本的重要性，建议将未来配电网扩容费用纳入分时电价设计。 释放分时电价的空间信号：目前的省级统一分时电价无法反映各地区电网运行的独特情况。建议将分时电价细化到更小的行政区域，甚至以变电站或馈线供电区域为单位。这有助于缓解电动汽车低谷期扎堆充电现象，并更好地反映配电网运行状况。 增强分时电价的时间信号：提出采用更灵活的时变电价结构，如紧急尖峰电价（Critical Peak Pricing-Variable）和紧急尖峰节电返利（Critical Peak Rebate）。这些方法可以更精准地反映电能成本的时间变化，并通过日前通知机制引导用户调整充电行为。 这些改进对于优化电网运行和投资具有重要意义。同时，这些建议不仅适用于电动汽车充电，也可广泛应用于其他需求侧资源管理。 本文首刊于《南方能源观察》，2024年12月20日… Read More +
A full-stack compensation model for virtual power plants: Uniting the top-down and local-level approaches
Virtual power plants (VPPs) have received wide attention in China from central government agencies, provincial governments and,… 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.