China to overhaul electricity system for green growth, energy security

BEIJING -- China unveiled an action plan on Tuesday to speed up the building of a "new electricity system" as part of the country's efforts to pursue low-carbon development and ensure energy security.

The plan, jointly issued by the National Development and Reform Commission, the National Energy Administration (NEA) and the National Data Administration, outlines steps to be taken in nine areas between 2024 and 2027.

Chinese authorities will work to increase the transmission of clean electricity through the grid using advanced power generation, regulation and control technologies.

As wind and solar power generation in China's deserts and desertified areas is increasing, there are growing needs to transmit the clean energy to electricity-consuming regions, the NEA said in a press release on the plan.

China aims to raise the total installed capacity of wind and solar power generation facilities in deserts and desertified areas to 455 million kilowatts by 2030. Currently, cross-regional transmission lines mainly transport coal and hydro power.

In the document, China also plans to upgrade its coal-fired power plants to achieve a "substantial reduction" in carbon emissions.

"Coal-fired power will remain a crucial source of reliable electricity supply in our country. To achieve the goal of peaking carbon emissions, it is necessary to accelerate the low-carbon transformation (of this sector)," the NEA said.

China's new-energy vehicle market has been steadily advancing in recent years, with sales of such vehicles up 32 percent in the first half of 2024, creating enormous demand for charging facilities in the country.

In the plan, China pledges to expand charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs), strengthen the integration and interaction between EVs and the power grid, and establish an array of standards for charging infrastructure.

By the end of June, the total number of charging piles in China reached 10.24 million units, an increase of 54 percent year on year, official data shows.

Last week, an NEA spokesperson said that his administration was promoting the building of charging facilities in rural areas to tap the potential of EV sales, and one-third of the country's provincial-level regions had built charging piles in towns and villages.

Tuesday's document also specifies measures aimed at ensuring the stable operation of China's electricity system and boosting the development of the power distribution network.

China's electricity consumption, a key barometer of economic activity, recorded robust expansion in the first half of this year, climbing 8.1 percent to nearly 4.66 trillion kilowatt-hours. To power the world's second largest economy, the country needs a reliable supply of electricity.

Adhering to the path of green development, China has committed to the dual carbon goals of peaking carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, in a much shorter time span compared with developed countries.