Source: National Energy Administration
Accelerate the development of a new grid architecture, new technologies, and new services.
— Interpretation of the “15th Five-Year Plan” for Building a New-Type Power System
At the meeting of the CPC Central Politburo held on April 28, 2026, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized the need to strengthen the planning and construction of water networks, new‑generation power grids, computing‑power networks, next‑generation communication networks, urban underground utility networks, and logistics networks. In April, Premier Li Qiang, during an inspection tour in Sichuan, underscored the importance of actively exploring new architectures, technologies, and services to build a new‑type power grid that is secure and reliable, green and low‑carbon, robust and resilient, and intelligent and flexible. Recently, the national energy authority released the “15th Five-Year Plan for Building a New‑Type Power System” (hereinafter referred to as the “Plan”), setting forth the goal of achieving preliminary completion of the new‑type power grid by 2030, outlining several key tasks for the 15th Five-Year Plan period, and providing comprehensive guidance for the scientific development of such a grid.
I. Optimize and refine the new grid architecture, transitioning from a unidirectional, hierarchical transmission network to one characterized by coordinated primary‑distribution‑microgrid integration and multi‑factor interaction.
China’s power grid infrastructure is among the world’s most advanced, having built the largest‑scale AC/DC hybrid grid globally, with the highest voltage levels and the greatest capacity for integrating new energy sources. Its highest voltage level exceeds 1,000 kV, making China the only country in the world operating an ultra‑high‑voltage AC/DC grid. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the national “West-to-East Power Transmission” capacity surpassed 340 million kW, with eight UHV DC transmission channels commissioned and put into operation. The UHV AC backbone networks in North China, East China, and Central China have largely taken shape; the Sichuan–Chongqing grid has been upgraded to 1,000 kV; and the ultra‑high‑voltage grids in Northeast, Northwest, and South China now provide effective coverage. Inter‑provincial mutual assistance capacity has reached 80 million kW, while the total length of 220 kV and above transmission lines exceeds one million kilometers, ensuring annual electricity demand of over 10 trillion kWh and supporting the integration and consumption of more than 1.8 billion kW of new energy. These achievements continue to set new global records for the longest safe operation of ultra‑large power grids. In the 15th Five-Year Plan period, emerging high‑consumption sectors—such as data centers, renewable‑energy‑based hydrogen production, and the “new three major industries”—along with electric‑power substitution, will further drive robust growth in electricity demand. New energy is expected to maintain a rapid annual expansion of approximately 200 million kW, while the pace of development for various new types of grid‑connected entities is accelerating. This poses significant challenges for coordinated source‑grid planning and for the integrated design of microgrids and main and distribution networks, placing higher demands on the grid’s resource allocation capabilities, safety‑support capacities, and its ability to accommodate new market participants and technologies.
The Plan, grounded in the current development landscape and oriented toward long-term transformation goals, focuses on building a new‑type power grid characterized by coordinated interaction among transmission, distribution, and microgrids. It systematically lays out key tasks, including the construction of interprovincial and interregional transmission corridors, the enhancement of regional main‑grid structures, the development of robust and resilient distribution systems, and the deployment of smart microgrids across diverse application scenarios. These efforts aim to transform the power grid from a traditional unidirectional “generation‑transmission‑distribution‑consumption” network into an integrated platform that seamlessly connects transmission, distribution, and microgrids, enabling diversified, efficient, and interactive interactions among generation, grid, load, and storage resources.
The main power grid ensures a robust backbone, safeguards security, and facilitates smooth energy circulation. First, we will vigorously optimize the spatial distribution of power flows by actively and orderly advancing the planning and construction of transmission corridors that deliver electricity from the “desert‑gobi‑wasteland” base clusters in Northeast, North Central, and Northwest China, as well as the hydropower‑wind‑solar base clusters in Southwest China, to eastern and central regions, Sichuan–Chongqing, and southern load centers. By 2030, the capacity of the “West-to-East Power Transmission” system will exceed 420 million kilowatts, further enhancing the ability to achieve large‑scale, optimized allocation of clean energy. Second, we will strengthen inter‑regional grid interconnection and mutual support: during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, six DC back‑to‑back projects will be completed and put into operation, with efforts made to commence construction on four more; cross‑provincial AC interconnections will be effectively reinforced, raising the national inter‑provincial power‑mutual‑assistance capacity to 120 million kilowatts. This will further unblock inter‑provincial power transmission channels, fully tap the complementary potential of generation and load characteristics, and enhance emergency‑response capabilities. Third, we will continue to refine and optimize regional main‑grid structures, adhering to a national grid framework characterized by “regional grids as the foundation and inter‑regional asynchronous interconnections as the primary mode.” The main grids in North China, East China, and Central China will extend toward areas rich in energy resources and hotspots of growing electricity demand. At 500 kV, leveraging the ultra‑high‑voltage grid, phased zoning and partitioning will be implemented. Meanwhile, Northeast, Northwest, and South China will strengthen key inter‑provincial links and improve intra‑provincial main‑grid architectures, thereby enhancing the high‑voltage grid’s safe DC‑carrying capacity, ensuring reliable local power export, and bolstering regional power supply security. The distribution grid will transform its role, strengthen its capabilities, and promote greater interaction. First, we will reinforce planning guidance and top‑level design for the distribution grid, driving its flexible, intelligent, and digital transformation, and accelerating the shift from a traditional passive, unidirectional radial network to an active, bidirectional interactive system. Second, we will comprehensively advance the “three enhancements” to build a resilient and robust distribution grid: upgrading urban networks and renovating rural grids, replacing aging equipment, addressing structural weaknesses in underserved areas, and mitigating the risk of complete outages in counties and townships, thus elevating power supply reliability. We will fully leverage the guiding role of the “Guidelines for Assessing the Carrying Capacity of Distributed Generation Access to the Power System,” tailoring distribution‑grid upgrades and renovations to local conditions, and adopting measures such as busbar step‑up and energy‑storage integration to meet access requirements, thereby promoting the rational deployment of distributed generation and its local consumption. By 2030, this will support the connection and safe, stable operation of 900 million kilowatts of distributed renewable energy. We will also adopt moderately forward‑looking planning for the layout of substations and distribution facilities, raising localized planning and disaster‑prevention standards in areas prone to typhoons, rain‑snow‑freezing events, and geological hazards, while expediting disaster‑resilience upgrades. Microgrids will expand their application scenarios and foster greater coordination. We will broaden the deployment of microgrids, building scenario‑specific smart microgrids at the grid’s edge and on islands to ensure reliable supply, in green industrial parks, and in villages and towns rich in renewable energy. A series of computing‑power‑grid collaborative and zero‑carbon (low‑carbon) park projects will be launched, clearly defining the physical and responsibility boundaries between microgrids and the public grid, and elevating the level of coordinated source‑grid‑load‑storage operations within microgrids, thereby increasing the share of self‑generated and self‑consumed renewable energy.
II. Tackling key challenges and achieving breakthroughs in new grid technologies, realizing from… A leap from technological leadership to comprehensive innovation-driven advancement
In recent years, China has made significant progress in the research, development, and application of power‑grid equipment technologies. Its ultra‑high‑voltage (UHV) technology is world‑leading, making China the only country to have achieved the independent commercial deployment of a complete suite of UHV AC/DC technologies, equipment, engineering solutions, and standards. Key technological breakthroughs have been attained in areas such as ultra‑large‑scale AC/DC hybrid grid simulation, UHV flexible DC transmission, controllable commutation converters, and flexible low‑frequency AC transmission, fostering a comprehensive upstream–downstream industrial cluster that spans basic materials, power devices, complete sets of equipment, engineering construction, and system control. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the “dual‑high” characteristics of the power system will continue to become more pronounced: the grid’s structure and physical infrastructure are gradually evolving, new business forms and models are expanding rapidly, and the complexity of system stability mechanisms and operational control is increasing markedly. There is an urgent need for breakthroughs in AI‑driven empowerment of the grid, while risks remain regarding the independent and controllable supply of certain core electrical‑engineering equipment. These developments place higher demands on advancing critical grid technologies and upgrading high‑end equipment.
The Plan emphasizes accelerating the empowerment of new‑type productive forces in the power sector. Addressing key technological bottlenecks and supply‑chain weaknesses in the development of next‑generation grids, it systematically deploys a full‑chain agenda encompassing basic research, technological breakthroughs, equipment development, and demonstration applications. This aims to drive a broad shift—building on traditional expertise in planning, dispatch, equipment, and operations—toward extensive adoption of digitalization, intelligence, and power electronics. In terms of critical technology R&D, the plan prioritizes advancing novel transmission technologies (such as 100% renewable‑energy export) and grid‑forming solutions for challenging environments, including desert‑and‑wasteland areas, hydropower–wind–solar complexes, high‑altitude regions, and deep offshore settings. It also seeks to innovate coordinated operation and control of primary, distribution, and microgrids, develop advanced simulation tools for slow‑process dynamics, and deepen analysis of stability mechanisms in next‑generation grids. On the front of core equipment development, efforts focus on overcoming technical barriers in ultra‑long‑distance UHVDC GIL systems, high‑voltage, large‑capacity AC/DC submarine cables, DC equipment for extremely high altitudes and severe seismic zones, and ultra‑strong conductors. Key technologies such as insulation optimization and online intelligent monitoring will be mastered, while critical equipment and supply‑chain gaps are swiftly addressed, thereby comprehensively enhancing the power industry’s level of self‑reliance, controllability, and core competitiveness. In the realm of AI‑enabled transformation, the plan calls for strengthening the exploitation and utilization of grid‑related data resources and digital technologies, reinforcing foundational theoretical research and practical applications of “AI + power.” It seeks to promote the deep integration of AI across grid planning and construction, equipment management, operational control, customer service, and security defense, while expanding the convergence of cutting‑edge technologies—including quantum communication, IoT sensing, and 5G‑A/6G—with grid operations.
III. Enhancing and upgrading new grid services to transition from power supply assurance to value creation.
During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China’s power grid has continuously enhanced its service‑delivery capabilities. The reliability and comprehensive carrying capacity of urban and rural distribution networks have improved markedly, with the average system‑wide power supply reliability rising to 99.931%. A preliminary national unified electricity market framework has been established, providing the physical infrastructure necessary to support a share of market‑based transactions exceeding 60% of total societal electricity consumption. The world’s largest charging network has been built, with approximately 20 million charging facilities effectively meeting the charging needs of over 40 million new‑energy vehicles. “Three‑Zero” and “Three‑Province” services for electricity connection applications now cover the entire country, while electricity prices remain among the lowest globally. Emerging business models such as direct green‑power trading, smart microgrids, virtual power plants, and vehicle‑to‑grid integration are flourishing. In the 15th Five-Year Plan period, new‑type productive forces will accelerate their development and expansion, driving sustained growth in society‑wide green‑power consumption and in the demand for green‑energy supplies across key industries. The coordinated integration of the “Six Networks” infrastructure will deepen further, consumer‑oriented electricity quality expectations will continue to rise, and the construction of a nationwide unified electricity market will advance in greater depth—placing higher demands on the precision, inclusiveness, market‑orientation, and efficiency of green‑power supply assurance provided by the power grid.
The Plan stays firmly aligned with the overarching theme of service transformation, grounding itself in core objectives such as promoting high-quality development and safeguarding and improving people’s livelihoods. It strategically deploys key tasks to shift grid services from simply “ensuring access to electricity” to “making the most of electricity and embracing green power.” In support of national strategies and priority projects, it outlines a series of major grid initiatives that bolster national energy security and underpin high‑quality economic growth, elevating the grid from a mere implementer of energy‑related projects to a pioneering enabler of national strategic goals. This ensures robust capacity to meet the transmission needs arising from the development of large clean‑energy hubs—such as those in sandy, Gobi, and desert regions, as well as hydropower‑wind‑solar complexes—thereby providing strong backing for major national strategies like building an energy‑strong nation and advancing regional development, alongside critical infrastructure projects in railways, hydropower, and other sectors. To foster the high‑quality development of new energy sources, the Plan refines the grid’s fair‑and‑open service framework, strengthens mechanisms for ensuring reliable integration and consumption of renewable energy, and optimizes its regulatory systems. It conducts thorough assessments of distributed‑generation capacity, dynamically addressing bottlenecks such as county‑level “red zones” and reverse overloads on equipment. Furthermore, it promotes the orderly and sustainable growth of emerging models—including direct green‑power transactions, green‑power industrial parks, and integrated source‑grid‑load‑storage systems—providing essential support for the green and low‑carbon transition of all stakeholders. Finally, in advancing the coordinated development of the “Six Networks,” the Plan coordinates the planning and deployment of computing‑power and power‑generation projects, optimizes joint and synergistic scheduling of hydropower resources, encourages shared use of corridors, utility tunnels, and transmission towers between power and transportation infrastructures, and explores innovative approaches to sharing towers between the power grid and telecommunications networks. Channels and stations leverage urban utility tunnels to promote the integrated co‑construction of power cables and multiple types of pipelines, providing a solid foundation for the joint development and shared use of multi‑network infrastructure and the efficient utilization of land‑space resources. In terms of serving key sectors, grid infrastructure is strengthened in areas with high concentrations of users associated with new‑type productive forces, with appropriate adoption of dedicated substation supply models. For energy‑quality‑sensitive industries such as chip manufacturing, biopharmaceuticals, and precision machining, the grid operator, users, and other stakeholders collaborate to enhance power quality. To ensure reliable electricity access for the public, differentiated upgrades are carried out in older residential communities and urban villages, employing measures such as adding new feeder circuits and optimizing external power‑supply switching, thereby addressing weak links in residential power‑supply security. The issue of non‑compliant external power‑supply configurations for critical users is comprehensively resolved, bolstering their ability to maintain uninterrupted power during extreme conditions. Efforts are underway to develop charging‑infrastructure deployment plans, refining spatial layouts for urban area‑based, highway‑oriented, and rural point‑based charging networks, with the goal of establishing, by 2030, charging capacity sufficient to support more than 110 million electric vehicles. In support of building a unified national electricity market, work is accelerating to establish a robust physical grid framework that ensures smooth, efficient, and stable market operations, unlocking the latent capabilities of existing grid assets and enhancing the grid’s capacity for safe, flexible access by diverse market participants, thus providing a central hub platform for multi‑type, cross‑cycle, large‑scale market transactions.
