Ranking provincial power generation sources of China: a decision-maker preferences based integrated multi-criteria framework.

The ranking of power generation sources is a very important prerequisite for power generation installation planning and power supply security. This study proposed a new multi-criteria system for ranking regional power generation sources in one country, including resources, economy, technology, environment, and society, using 11 sub-criteria. Based on the system, a novel decision-maker (DMs) preference-based integrated MCDM framework involving four methods (Visekriterijumsko Kompromisno Rangiranje (VIKOR), Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluations (PROMETHEE), and Weighted Sum Method (WSM)) was developed for ranking six power generation sources (thermal, nuclear, wind, hydro, solar PV, and biomass) at the level of China's 30 provinces. Six different preferences of DMs are considered in the ranking according to five criteria. The results show that wind should be the power generation source given the top priority in most provinces in China whereas nuclear power and thermal power are the last choice for 26 provinces. Biomass is the most preferable power source for 17 provinces based on technological preference in which DMs regard the technology criteria is prior to all other criteria. Thermal power would still the preferred or secondary power source for provinces rich in coal resources such as Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Henan, and Shaanxi.