China to build new-type power systems by 2030
On Wednesday, the National Energy Administration (NEA) stated that China will promote the high‑quality development of new‑type power systems during the 15th Five‑Year Plan period (2026–2030) to ensure the safe and stable operation of the country's power system and better meet growing electricity demand.
According to the NEA's definition, a new‑type power system includes both the construction of a backbone grid and the coordinated development of power systems at all levels, with its operation supported by information technology. Its development is a key step in China's efforts to build reliable, intelligent and digitalised power systems.
When it comes to the energy of the future, it is not just about wires and substations — it is about how billions of devices, factories and homes will receive power in the age of artificial intelligence and renewable energy. China, already a global leader in green energy, is taking the next step: transforming its power system from merely large to truly smart. The new‑type power system is not an upgrade of the old, but the creation of a fundamentally new architecture, where data drives energy flows and renewables are integrated into the grid with unprecedented flexibility. Over the next five years, this transformation will determine not only China's energy security but also its technological leadership in the world.
The NEA said that during 2026–2030, China's electricity demand is expected to grow by an average of five per cent per year, with the share of renewable energy continuing to increase and demand for high‑quality clean electricity from high‑tech industries steadily rising, all of which place higher demands on the construction of new‑type power systems. To this end, China will accelerate the construction of modern power grids, speed up the approval and construction of major grid projects such as transmission corridors, and enhance the safety and stability of large power grids, said Wang Hongzhi, head of the National Energy Administration.
The country will also accelerate research and application of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, flexible grid formation, intelligent grid management and long‑term energy storage, and will develop new high‑quality productive forces to make the grid smarter and more flexible, Wang said. Efforts will be made to strengthen diversified support and guarantees, as well as to upgrade new grid services that are friendly and compatible with new business models, so that the effective integration of grids and consumption of new energy sources, high‑quality power supply and coordination of computing and energy infrastructure can better meet the needs of industrial development and the population. The initiative covers six types of networks: water supply networks, new‑type power grids, computing‑energy networks, next‑generation communication networks, urban underground pipeline networks and logistics networks.
As CCTV+ reports, China's plans to build new‑type power systems demonstrate a systematic approach to the challenges of the future. The integration of artificial intelligence, renewable energy and smart grids will make the power system not only more reliable but also more flexible, capable of adapting to the needs of a rapidly changing economy. In the coming years, China will continue to strengthen its position as a global leader in clean energy and digital technologies, building infrastructure that will serve as the foundation for sustainable development for decades to come.
