In the inaugural year of the 15th Five-Year Plan, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has coordinated plans for major infrastructure development covering six networks: the national water network, new-type power grid, computing power network, next-generation communication network, urban underground pipeline network and logistics network. As vital infrastructure underpinning Chinese modernization and new industrialization, the new-type power grid is incorporated into this major deployment.

"We must adapt to the needs of energy transition, further develop the infrastructure network for new energy, press ahead with intelligent upgrading of power grid infrastructure and the development of smart microgrids, and boost the grid’s capacity to accommodate, allocate and regulate clean energy." General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions have charted the course for developing the new-type power grid.

Recently, Xinhua journalists conducted field research and witnessed the accelerated expansion of China’s massive power grid across the country. It will deliver safer and more reliable energy support for advancing Chinese modernization and enable China to make greater contributions to building a clean and beautiful world.

Wind and solar power generated in northern Shaanxi is transmitted to the Yangtze-Huaihe River Basin. Looking out from the Hezhou Converter Station in Hefei, Anhui Province, silvery-grey ultra-high voltage (UHV) transmission towers stretch northwestward for hundreds of kilometers. The power lines link the converter station beneath the Baota Mountain in Yan’an with the Dabie Mountains.

On June 30, the ±800 kV UHV direct current (DC) transmission project from northern Shaanxi to Anhui was fully completed and put into operation. As the first commissioned UHV DC project during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, this major power artery spanning Shaanxi, Henan and Anhui delivers a clear signal of China’s accelerated power grid construction.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China sped up power grid development. The inter-provincial and cross-regional UHV power transmission capacity rose from 270 million kW at the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan to 340 million kW. Urban and rural distribution networks saw continuous upgrading. New distribution network projects including flexible power distribution and virtual power plants were launched. Power grids achieved markedly higher digitalization and intelligence levels, enabling efficient integration of distributed clean energy.

At present, China has built the world’s largest interconnected alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) power grid, effectively addressing the mismatch between energy resource distribution and electricity load locations, and laying a solid grid framework for developing the new-type power grid.

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that energy security and supply bear on national economy and people’s livelihood, constituting a paramount national priority that must never be overlooked.

The Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan sets out arrangements such as "vigorously developing a new-type power system" and "optimizing national power flow and layout of cross-regional transmission corridors", painting a blueprint for the future power grid.

Connecting power generation and consumption, power grids are a core component in accelerating the development of the new-type power system, and critical infrastructure safeguarding energy security and smoothing the circulation of the national economy.

Developing the new-type power grid is not a simple upgrade of the existing power transmission and distribution system. Instead, it represents a systematic transformation of grid forms in response to changing energy demand to reinforce the country’s energy security barrier.

On June 25, China announced that its installed power generation capacity had exceeded 4 billion kW, surpassing the combined installed capacity of the United States, the European Union, India, Japan and Russia. Behind this historic milestone, the share of installed non-fossil energy and renewable energy capacity has both exceeded 60%, reflecting a greener, upgraded shift in China’s power generation mix.

The robust growth of new energy can better meet China’s surging electricity demand, yet it also brings new challenges for grid construction.

For instance, the traditional power grid can be likened to a one-way highway: electricity flows in a single direction from power plants through high-voltage lines to end users. Nowadays, power sources feature a mix of centralized and distributed generation. Electric vehicles consume electricity and can feed power back to the grid, requiring the power system to shift from one-way transmission and distribution to two-way interaction.

In addition, the booming intelligent economy has driven sharp growth in computing power demand, bringing huge power consumption and stricter requirements for power supply stability. However, wind and solar power generation is weather-dependent. The intermittency and volatility of new energy generation pose challenges for grid stable operation.

Zhang Lin, Director of the Planning & Development Department of the China Electricity Council (CEC), explained that unlike traditional power grids centered on one-way power transmission and passive adaptation, the new-type power grid will be built on backbone grids and distribution networks supplemented by microgrids, forming a coordinated "backbone-distribution-microgrid" power grid system.

Remaking power flow patterns and allocation logic to ensure clean power can be generated, transmitted and utilized steadily — this defines the mission of the new-type power grid in the new era.

The new-type power grid features innovations in three dimensions:New architecture: It will improve grid frameworks, develop a three-tier coordinated "backbone-distribution-microgrid" new-type power grid platform, strengthen grid safety resilience and secure the safe operation of large power grids.New technologies: Breakthroughs will be made in key innovative technologies including grid-forming technologies, long-duration energy storage, and power transmission technologies for 100% new energy bases. An "Artificial Intelligence + Power Grid" initiative will be rolled out to equip power grids with intelligent operating brains.New services: Efforts will optimize grid connection and power delivery services for new energy, boost coordination between computing and power systems, and advance inclusive power supply services, enabling a shift from reliable electricity access to high-quality and green electricity consumption.

Forecasts indicate that fixed-asset investment in China’s power grids during the 15th Five-Year Plan will exceed 5 trillion yuan, far surpassing the scale recorded in the 14th Five-Year Plan period.

"We are studying and formulating an implementation plan for new-type power grid planning and construction for the 15th Five-Year Plan. By 2030, we will initially build a safe, reliable, green, low-carbon, robust, resilient, smart and flexible new-type power grid," said Tan Hongjiang, Deputy Director of the Electric Power Department of the National Energy Administration (NEA).

Far from a marginal upgrade, the new-type power grid represents systematic restructuring adapting to profound shifts in the energy mix. It enables not only smooth power flow, but also solid progress as an energy power nation marches toward becoming a global leader in energy.

In the vast western regions, UHV power lines wind through mountains to form energy arteries for west-to-east power transmission. In urban and rural eastern areas, self-healing distribution networks restore power supply within milliseconds, underpinning urban electricity services. On remote offshore islands, microgrids operate independently and stably, resolving power supply challenges in outlying regions.

At power grid construction sites nationwide, journalists witnessed the accelerated development of a multi-dimensional power network featuring efficient coordination and mutual support across "backbone, distribution and microgrids".

Over the next five years, State Grid Corporation of China plans to invest 4 trillion yuan in fixed assets, averaging 800 billion yuan annually. China Southern Power Grid has arranged 180 billion yuan in fixed-asset investment this year. Capital flows signal priorities for developing the new-type power grid.

Strengthen backbone power grids: Accelerating UHV transmission projects and enhancing cross-regional power allocation capacity ranks first on the agenda for new-type power grid development.

Multiple major energy transmission corridors are under intensive construction.

Work is in full swing on the 1000 kV UHV AC ring network project in Zhejiang undertaken by State Grid. Upon completion, it will accommodate more than 57 billion kWh of clean energy power annually. Meanwhile, construction proceeds rapidly on UHV projects including the Datong-Huailai-South Tianjin, Aba-East Chengdu, Western Inner Mongolia-Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and Panxi UHV AC projects, alongside the Karamay 750 kV power transmission and transformation project.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China will build an additional 15 UHV DC green power transmission corridors, lifting the scale of west-to-east power transmission above 420 million kW. More than six power mutual support projects will be completed to increase mutual power support capacity by approximately 40 million kW, achieving a qualitative leap in the flexibility of national power allocation.

Optimize distribution networks: Distribution networks serve as capillaries connecting every household, forming the "last mile" of power delivery.

In the Qingpu area of the Yangtze River Delta Integration Demonstration Zone, a pilot new-type distribution network project is under construction — the world’s first 10 kV flexible switching station based on megavolt-ampere-class nanocrystalline high-frequency transformers.

This new distribution network equipment functions like an intelligent two-way regulating valve on power lines. It allows direct connection of photovoltaic systems, energy storage facilities and charging piles. Electricity can be delivered to end users, while surplus green power can be fed back to the grid, with flexible regulation of power supply rhythms. This facilitates local consumption of new energy power and enhances grid stability.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan, investment in distribution networks will account for over half of total power grid investment, with continuous resource inclination toward distribution networks.

Foster smart microgrids: As basic micro-units of the new-type power grid, microgrids act as key pillars for regional energy self-balance and self-regulation.

On Taishan Island in Fujian, an integrated island energy microgrid under construction can operate steadily in off-grid mode for over 15 consecutive days, offering a new solution for power supply on remote islands.

In She County, Handan, Hebei Province, the newly completed hydro-solar-storage smart microgrid leverages local small hydropower and distributed photovoltaic power to realize seven days of self-sufficient off-grid operation.

On Dadaosha Island in Guangzhou, Guangdong, newly developed island microgrid technology can instantly switch to islanded operation mode upon main grid faults to rapidly restore regional power supply.

If the "backbone-distribution-microgrid" framework forms the physical architecture of the new-type power grid, cutting-edge technologies under continuous innovation serve as the intelligent brain driving efficient system operation.

Digital and intelligent technologies including virtual power plants, computing-power grid coordination and digital twins further shape the form of the future power grid.

At the vehicle-grid integration demonstration station on Yanglin Road, Hefei, data streams flash across dispatch screens. Guided by instructions from a 5G + quantum encryption virtual power plant platform, dozens of new energy vehicles simultaneously switch to reverse discharge mode. Electricity stored in vehicle batteries flows into the urban distribution network through V2G charging piles, turning private cars into schedulable mobile energy storage resources.

In Hangzhou, Zhejiang, a gigawatt-scale virtual power plant aggregates resources from over 4,400 users, enabling peak load regulation during heatwaves without factory shutdowns.

In Barkol, Xinjiang, China’s first 200,000 kW photovoltaic DC collection demonstration project has been connected to the grid, tackling voltage oscillation and broadband oscillation challenges at wind-solar bases in Gobi regions.

Plans stipulate that by 2030, the capacity to accommodate distributed new energy will reach 900 million kW, and installed new energy storage capacity will hit 300 million kW. Construction of high-power charging infrastructure and charging and swapping facilities for electric heavy-duty trucks will be accelerated.

A stronger, greener and smarter new-type power grid is advancing steadily from blueprints to reality.

In Houjiao Village deep within the Taihang Mountains, She County, Hebei, warm lights in homestays flicker on as dusk falls. Operator Shen Qiuying quickly adjusts air conditioners in guest rooms and greets tourists traveling from afar.

"In previous years, voltage fluctuated sharply in mountain areas. We dared not run air conditioners and water heaters simultaneously. Power lines often broke during mountain floods, leaving us without electricity for days on end." Pointing to energy storage equipment of the local hydro-solar-storage microgrid outside her courtyard, she added: "Now power supply is stable. We have no worries even when all over a dozen guest rooms are occupied during peak seasons. Homestays, planting and breeding industries in the village are thriving."

A single lamp lighting up mountain villages exemplifies how the new-type power grid benefits people.

From mountain hinterlands to coastal fishing villages, from northern ancient towns to water towns in the Yangtze River Delta, improved power quality spreads along power lines. It puts an end to the history of unreliable power supply in remote areas, and drives the shift of urban and rural power services from universal access to high quality and equalization.

NEA data shows the reliability rate of rural power supply in China has risen to 99.878%. During the 15th Five-Year Plan, a special campaign targeting frequent power outages in rural grids will continue to narrow the urban-rural gap in power supply quality.

The popularization of two-way active power grids transforms households from mere power consumers into participants in energy transition. Surplus electricity generated by rooftop photovoltaic systems can be fed back to the grid for compensation. Users can receive subsidies for participating in demand response initiatives. The model of "saving money on electricity consumption and gaining revenue by selling power" will expand to wider areas.

Every expansion of power grids consolidates foundations for industrial growth.

Constructing one kilometer of UHV transmission line consumes roughly 50 tons of special steel and generates over 10 million yuan of equipment output. Vehicle-grid integration technology turns electric vehicles from mobile power banks into mobile energy storage, unlocking millions of kilowatts of regulation potential. Virtual power plants aggregating distributed resources are scaling up from pilot projects.

Rather than isolated infrastructure, the new-type power grid forms an energy base connecting upstream and downstream sectors and covering the entire industrial chain, unlocking new room for industrial upgrading and economic growth.

Forecasts show power grid investment during the 15th Five-Year Plan will drive the development of high-end manufacturing clusters including UHV equipment, new energy storage and intelligent terminals. The total scale of upstream and downstream industries will exceed 10 trillion yuan, and related infrastructure investment can directly create over one million jobs.

Leveraging the platform functions of the new-type power grid, new business forms such as virtual power plant operation, vehicle-grid integration services and integrated energy operation and maintenance are emerging. The power industry is undergoing transformation from traditional grid construction and electricity sales to full-chain integrated services, continuously fostering new economic growth drivers.

As crisscrossing power lines form a nationwide network, the strategic value of the new-type power grid extends far beyond power transmission. It serves as a vital bond supporting the development of a unified national large market and coordinated regional growth.

Relying on cross-regional power transmission corridors, abundant wind and solar resources in western China are no longer confined to remote mountainous regions and can be converted into tangible economic benefits. Eastern load centers gain stable and clean power supply, creating room for energy consumption amid industrial upgrading. The bond linking energy complementarity and industrial coordination between eastern and western China grows tighter.

Looking ahead, interconnected power grids in the Yangtze River Delta will support integrated development. Energy transmission corridors along the Yellow River Basin will connect ecological protection and high-quality development. Hydropower from Sichuan and Xizang will be delivered directly to central China to drive the green transition of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Energy resource allocation efficiency will achieve qualitative improvement, laying a solid energy foundation for coordinated regional development.

Globally, China’s practical experience in integrating high-proportion new energy, UHV power transmission and smart microgrids offers mature and viable Chinese solutions for the global green and low-carbon energy transition, contributing China’s strength to tackling climate change.

Riding the tide of opportunities, we forge ahead with resolve.

By implementing the strategic arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and accelerating planning and construction, this robust, green and intelligent power grid spanning mountains, rivers and thousands of households will continuously deliver clean electricity, offer solid power support for building an energy powerhouse and inject vigorous momentum into advancing Chinese modernization.

(Reporters: Dai Xiaohe, An Lumeng, Wu Huijun)