In winter in Beijing, the cold wind is chilly, but the old electrician Mr. Zhang's mood is particularly relaxed. He has just completed the upgrade work of the smart meter responsible for the area. This new system can sense the electricity load in real time, automatically adjust the distribution, and even during peak electricity consumption, there is no need to worry about tripping.

In the past, every household used to have air conditioning on in the summer, and the voltage was unstable, often requiring repairs in the middle of the night. But now it's different, "Master Zhang sighed as he looked at the brand new equipment. What he witnessed was an unprecedented wave of power grid upgrading unfolding in China.

Ultra high voltage welcomes construction peak

According to the latest plan, China will invest over 5 trillion yuan during the 15th Five Year Plan period to build a new type of power system. This scale has reached a historic high, and one of the core investment directions is the construction and upgrading of the ultra-high voltage backbone network.

Ultra high voltage is known as the "power highway", and its construction goal is to increase the cross regional and inter provincial transmission capacity by more than 30% on the basis of the end of the 14th Five Year Plan. This is not just about simply expanding the scale of infrastructure, but also about solving the key challenge of "developing and delivering" new energy.

State Grid Corporation of China, the largest public utility enterprise in China covering 26 provinces, regions and municipalities with a power supply population of over 1.1 billion, has announced an investment plan of up to 4 trillion yuan. Southern Power Grid Co., Ltd. will also simultaneously promote regional power grid optimization and cross-border power interconnection.

Key projects are accelerating their implementation. The China Laos 500 kV interconnection project, which has already achieved physical connectivity, is planned to be officially put into operation in April 2026, becoming an important channel for power interconnection between China and Southeast Asia.

The Electricity Revolution from Urban to Rural Areas

The renovation of urban and rural distribution networks is another key focus of this transformation. In urban areas, intelligent distribution and automation terminal upgrades are being comprehensively promoted, with the goal of achieving a power supply reliability rate of over 99.99%. This means that the annual power outage time will be controlled to less than 53 minutes, reaching the world's advanced level.

Rural and remote areas focus on strengthening weak links in the power grid. Some places have begun to explore off grid and end of pipe guaranteed microgrid models, completely changing the electricity dilemma of air conditioning tripping as soon as it is turned on in the past.

This upgrade also directly serves the popularization demand of electric vehicles. The renovated distribution network needs to be able to accommodate over 40 million charging stations in the future, supporting the green transformation of China's transportation sector.

Digitization transformation becomes key

If ultra-high voltage is the skeleton and the distribution network is the capillaries, then digitization is the "brain" of the entire power system. Cutting edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, digital twins, drone inspections, and AI scheduling systems are being fully implemented in the field of power grids.

The application of these technologies will enable real-time perception, autonomous decision-making, and adaptive regulation of the power grid, greatly enhancing the system's resilience in extreme weather conditions such as typhoons and ice disasters.

The innovation direction has also extended to the field of "electric carbon computing collaboration". By building zero carbon parks and factories, power grid investment is directly helping China achieve its "dual carbon" goals of carbon peak and carbon neutrality. Comprehensive power construction and equipment manufacturing groups such as China Power Construction Group Co., Ltd. and China Energy Construction Group Co., Ltd. are extending this experience to more than 130 countries around the world through the Belt and Road cooperation.

This unprecedented investment in the power grid will not only change the way grassroots electricians like Mr. Zhang work, but also reshape China's energy landscape. As the 5 trillion yuan fund gradually lands, a smarter, more efficient, and greener power "highway" is transforming from a blueprint into a reality, injecting strong impetus into the high-quality development of the Chinese economy.Editor/Yang Meiling