Electricity sector in China#Hydropower

In April 1996, an Electric Power Law was implemented, a major event in China's electric power industry. The law set out to promote the development of the electric power industry, to protect the legal rights of investors, managers, and consumers, and to regulate the generation, distribution, and consumption.{{cn|date=July 2024}}

Before 1994, electricity supply was managed by electric power bureaus of the provincial governments. Now utilities are managed by corporations outside of the government administration structure.{{cn|date=July 2024}}

To end the State Power Corporation's (SPC) monopoly of the power industry, China's State Council dismantled the corporation in December 2002 and set up 11 smaller companies. SPC had owned 46% of the country's electrical generation assets and 90% of the electrical supply assets. The smaller companies include two electric power grid operators, five electric power generation companies, and four relevant business companies. Each of the five electric power generation companies owns less than 20% (32 GW of electricity generation capacity) of China's market share for electric power generation. Ongoing reforms aim to separate power plants from power-supply networks, privatize a significant amount of state-owned property, encourage competition, and revamp pricing mechanisms.{{cite web |url=http://www.buyusa.gov/china/en/power.html |title=BuyUSA.gov Home |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100620222039/https://www.buyusa.gov/china/en/power.html |archive-date=20 June 2010 |access-date=11 July 2021}}

In recent history, China's power industry is characterized by fast growth and an enormous installed base. In 2014, it had the largest installed electricity generation capacity in the world with 1505 GW and generated 5583 TWh{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/china/|title=The World Factbook|work=cia.gov|access-date=1 February 2016}} China also has the largest thermal power capacity, the largest hydropower capacity, the largest wind power capacity and the largest solar capacity in the world. Despite an expected rapid increase in installed capacity scheduled in 2014 for both wind and solar, and an expected increase to 60 GW in nuclear by 2020, coal will still account for between 65% and 75% of capacity in 2020.{{cite web|url=http://theenergycollective.com/michael-davidson/335271/china-s-electricity-sector-glance-2013|title=China and Electricity Overview – The Energy Collective|website=Theenergycollective.com|access-date=1 February 2016|archive-date=1 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180701031933/http://www.theenergycollective.com/michael-davidson/335271/china-s-electricity-sector-glance-2013|url-status=dead}}

In Spring 2011, according to The New York Times, shortages of electricity existed, and power outages should be anticipated. The government-regulated price of electricity had not matched rising prices for coal.{{cite news |last=Bradsher |first=Keith |author-link=Keith Bradsher |date=24 May 2011 |title=China's Utilities Cut Energy Production, Defying Beijing |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/25/business/energy-environment/25coal.html |access-date=25 May 2011 |newspaper=The New York Times |quote=Balking at the high price of coal that fuels much of China’s electricity grid, the nation’s state-owned utility companies are defying government economic planners by deliberately reducing the amount of electricity they produce.}}

In 2020, Chinese Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping announced that China aims to go carbon-neutral by 2060 in accordance with the Paris climate accord.{{Cite news |date=8 October 2020 |title=China Solar Stocks Are Surging After Xi's 2060 Carbon Pledge |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-10-08/china-s-solar-stocks-are-surging-after-xi-s-2060-carbon-pledge |access-date=5 January 2021 |work=Bloomberg News |language=en}}

In 2024, China's National Energy Administration ceased publishing data on power utilization by each generating source, impeding analysis of grid constraints.{{Cite news |date=July 1, 2024 |title=China Stops Publishing Data Highlighting Solar Power Constraints |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-07-01/china-stops-publishing-power-data-highlighting-solar-constraints |access-date=July 2, 2024 |work=Bloomberg News}}

Electricity generation in China by source in TWh:

{{#invoke:Chart | bar chart

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| group 1 = 15:27:45:70:96:141:156:186:237:305:366:405:466:656:763:886:997

| group 2 = 0:0:1:3:6:15:29:45:75:118:177:224:261:327:427:584:839

| group 3 = 585:616:722:699:872:920:1064:1130:1193:1195:1232:1302:1355:1340:1352:1286:1426

| group 4 = 15:21:34:42:45:51:57:64:76:81:94:113:179:216:0:0:0

| group 5 = 68:70:74:86:97:112:133:171:213:248:295:349:366:407:418:435:451

| group 6 = 2744:2941:3250:3723:3785:4111:4115:4109:4242:4178:4483:4554:4630:5042:0:0:0

| group 7 = 24:17:13:8:7:7:10:10:10:3:2:1:1:1:0:0:0

| group 8 = 31:51:69:84:86:91:115:145:170:203:216:233:253:287:0:0:0

| group 9 = 0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:5889:6266:6374

| colors = green : yellow : blue : orange : red : black: Darkgrey :Gainsboro : grey

| group names = Wind : Solar : Hydro : Biofuels and waste : Nuclear : Coal : Oil : Gas : Fossil (Inc. Biomass)

| x legends = 2008:2009:2010:2011:2012:2013:2014:2015:2016:2017:2018:2019:2020:2021:2022:2023:2024

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;ChinaEnergyPortal.org

China Energy Portal publishes Chinese energy policy, news, and statistics and provides tools for their translation into English. Translations on this site depend entirely on contributions from its readers. 2020 electricity & other energy statistics (preliminary){{Cite web | title=China Energy Portal | date=22 January 2021 | url=https://chinaenergyportal.org/en/2020-electricity-other-energy-statistics-preliminary/ | website=chinaenergyportal.org}}

(Note that change in generation capacity is new installations minus retirements.)

;National Bureau of Statistics of China

The official Statistics available in English are not all up to date. Numbers are given in "(100 million kw.h)"{{cite web|url=https://data.stats.gov.cn/english/easyquery.htm?cn=C01 |title=National Data |language=zh|publisher=Data.stats.gov.cn |date= |accessdate=5 June 2023}} which equals 100 GWh or 0.1 TWh.

In 2022, coal remained the primary source of electricity generation in China, accounting for 61.7% of total output. Other fossil fuels accounted for a smaller share, with natural gas contributing 3.0% and oil 0.1%. Renewable and low-carbon energy sources accounted for a growing proportion, including hydropower (15.1%), wind power (8.5%), solar photovoltaic (PV) (4.8%), and biofuels (2.0%). Nuclear energy contributed 4.7%.{{Cite web |title=China: Sources of electricity generation (2022) |url=https://www.iea.org/countries/china/electricity |access-date=22 February 2025 |website=International Energy Agency (IEA)}}

{{excerpt|Coal power in China}}

{{main|Hydroelectricity in China}}File:6058-Liujiaxia-Dam.jpg ]]

File:The Dam (2890371280).jpg is the largest power station (of any kind) in the world by installed capacity, with 22.5 GW.]]

Hydroelectricity is currently China's largest renewable energy source and the second overall after coal.

In 2021, China's total hydropower capacity reached 391 gigawatts (GW), an increase of 72 GW since 2015 when capacity stood at 319 GW. Of this increase, 20 GW was added in 2021. Hydropower accounted for approximately 16% of the country's installed power capacity and electricity generation. China represented about 29% of the world's total hydropower capacity and accounted for approximately 80% of global hydropower capacity additions in 2021. This includes both conventional and pumped-storage hydroelectricity, with most new developments concentrated in the western and southern regions.{{Cite web |title=Guide to Chinese Climate Policy; A: Hydropower |url=https://chineseclimatepolicy.oxfordenergy.org/book-content/domestic-policies/renewable-power/hydropower/ |access-date=23 February 2025 |website=The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies}}

According to the Energy Transitions Commission's 2019 report, China 2050: A Fully Developed Rich Zero-Carbon Economy, China has an estimated hydropower potential of up to 660 gigawatts (GW), of which about 500 GW is considered technically and economically feasible. The report projects that by 2050, wind and solar will generate nearly 70% of China's electricity.{{Cite web |date=November 2019 |title=China 2050: A fully developed rich zero-carbon economy |url=https://www.energy-transitions.org/publications/china-2050-a-fully-developed-rich-zero-carbon-economy/#download-form |access-date=23 February 2025 |website=Energy Transitions Commission}}

In the first half of 2023, China's hydropower capacity factor dropped to 30.5%, its lowest since at least 2015, due to severe drought conditions that reduced water availability. Hydropower output fell by 23%, the largest decline among all electricity sources. Globally, hydropower generation declined by 8.5%.{{Cite web |date=5 October 2023 |title=World’s electricity supply close to ‘peak emissions’ due to growth of wind and solar |url=https://www.carbonbrief.org/worlds-electricity-supply-close-to-peak-emissions-due-to-growth-of-wind-and-solar/ |access-date=23 February 2025 |website=Carbon Brief}}

Although hydroelectricity represents the largest renewable and low greenhouse gas emissions energy source in the country, the social and environmental impact of dam construction in China has been large, with millions of people forced to relocate and large scale damage to the environment.{{cite web|last1=Hvistendahl|first1=Mara|title=China's Three Gorges Dam: An Environmental Catastrophe?|url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/chinas-three-gorges-dam-disaster/|website=Scientific American|access-date=1 November 2016}}

{{main|Wind power in China}}

File:Wind power plants in Xinjiang, China.jpg in Xinjiang, China]]

File:Wind farm xinjiang.jpg in Xinjiang, China]]

With its large land mass and long coastline, China has exceptional wind resources:[http://ewea.org/fileadmin/ewea_documents/documents/publications/reports/Offshore_Report_2009.pdf Oceans of Opportunity: Harnessing Europe’s largest domestic energy resource] pp. 18–19. Ewea.org it is estimated China has about 2,380 GW of exploitable capacity on land and 200 GW on the sea.[http://www.windpowermonthly.com/article/1107732/Wind-provides-15-Chinas-electricity Wind provides 1.5% of China's electricity] Wind Power Monthly, 5 December 2011 At the end of 2021 there was 329 GW of Wind power in China proving 655,000 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of wind electricity to the grid This contrast with the 114 GW of electricity generating capacity installed in China in 2014{{cite web|url=http://www.gwec.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/GWEC_GlobalWindStats2014_FINAL_10.2.2015.pdf|title=Global Wind Statistics 2014|website=Gwec.net|access-date=24 August 2017}} (although capacity of wind power is not on par with capacity of nuclear power).{{cite web |url=http://about.bnef.com/press-releases/china-was-worlds-largest-wind-market-in-2012/ |title=China was world's largest wind market in 2012 |date=4 February 2013 |work=Renewable Energy World |access-date=5 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105224224/http://about.bnef.com/press-releases/china-was-worlds-largest-wind-market-in-2012/ |archive-date=5 November 2013 |url-status=dead}} In 2011, China's plan was to have 100 GW of wind power capacity by the end of 2015, with an annual wind generation of 190 terawatt-hours (TWh).{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-energy-renewable-idUSTRE77T0CM20110830 |title=China revises up 2015 renewable energy goals: report |date=29 August 2011 |work=Reuters |access-date=24 August 2017}}

China has identified wind power as a key growth component of the country's economy.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/feb/03/wind-power-eu |title=Wind power becomes Europe's fastest growing energy source |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=31 January 2010 | location=London | first=David | last=Gow | date=3 February 2009}}

{{Main|Nuclear power in China}}

In terms of nuclear power generation, China will advance from a moderate development strategy to an accelerating development strategy. Nuclear power will play an even more important role in China's future power development. Especially in the developed coastal areas with heavy power loads, nuclear power will become the backbone of the power structure there. As of February 2023, China has 55 plants with 57 GW of power in operation, 22 under construction with 24 GW and more than 70 planned with 88 GW. About 5% of electricity in the country is due to nuclear energy.

These plants generated 417 TWh of electricity in 2022.

{{cite web|url=https://pris.iaea.org/PRIS/CountryStatistics/CountryDetails.aspx?current=CN |title=PRIS - Country Details |publisher=Pris.iaea.org |date= |accessdate=5 June 2023}} This percentage is expected to double every 10 years for several decades out. Plans are for 200 GW installed by 2030 which will include a large shift to Fast Breeder reactor and 1500 GW by the end of this century.

{{main|Solar power in China}}

China is the world's largest market for both photovoltaics and solar thermal energy.

At the end of 2021 there was 306 GW of solar power in China providing 377,000 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of solar power electricity to the grid (out of total 7,770,000 GWh electricity power production.

In comparison, of the 7,623 TWh electricity produced in China in 2020, 261.1 TWh was generated by solar power, equivalent to 3.43% of total electricity production.{{cite web|url=https://chinaenergyportal.org/en/2020-electricity-other-energy-statistics-preliminary/|title=2020 electricity & other energy statistics (preliminary) – China Energy Portal |date=22 January 2021}}

This was a 289% increase since 2016, when production was 67.4 TWh,{{cite web|url=https://chinaenergyportal.org/en/2017-electricity-energy-statistics/|title=2017 electricity & other energy statistics – China Energy Portal – 中国能源门户|date=6 February 2018}} equivalent to an annual growth rate of 40.4%.

China has been the world's leading installer of solar photovoltaics since 2013 (see also growth of photovoltaics), and the world's largest producer of photovoltaic power since 2015.{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/china-solar-idUSL3N15533U|title=China's solar capacity overtakes Germany in 2015, industry data show|newspaper=Reuters |date=21 January 2016|via=www.reuters.com}}{{cite web|url=http://cleantechnica.com/2016/01/22/china-overtakes-germany-become-worlds-leading-solar-pv-country/|title=China Overtakes Germany to Become World's Leading Solar PV Country|date=22 January 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://cleantechnica.com/2016/07/07/china-installs-18-6-gw-solar-pv-2015-connected/|title = China Installed 18.6 GW of Solar PV in 2015, but Was All of It Connected?|date = 7 July 2016}}

In 2017 China was the first country to pass 100 GW of cumulative installed PV capacity.{{cite news|title=China Is Adding Solar Power at a Record Pace|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-19/china-adds-about-24gw-of-solar-capacity-in-first-half-official|access-date=1 August 2017|work=Bloomberg.com|date=19 July 2017}} However electricity prices are not properly varied by time of day, so do not properly incentivize system balancing.{{cite web |date=11 April 2022 |title=Why China's energy transition is so difficult |url=https://www.omfif.org/2022/04/why-chinas-energy-transition-is-so-difficult/ |access-date=13 April 2022 |website=OMFIF |language=en-GB}}

Solar water heating is also extensively implemented, with a total installed capacity of 290 GWth at the end of 2014, representing about 70% of world's total installed solar thermal capacity.[http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=chinas-big-push-for-renewable-energy China's Big Push for Renewable Energy]{{cite web|title=Solar Heat Worldwide 2014|url=http://www.iea-shc.org/data/sites/1/publications/Solar-Heat-Worldwide-2016.pdf|website=www.iea-shc.org|publisher=IEA Solar Heating & Cooling Programme|access-date=13 June 2016}} The goal for 2050 is to reach 1,300GW of Solar Capacity. If this goal is to be reached it would be the biggest contributor to Chinese electricity demand.{{Cite journal|title=China's renewable energy goals by 2050|journal=Environmental Development |volume=20|pages=83–90|doi=10.1016/j.envdev.2016.10.001|year=2016|last1=Yang|first1=X. Jin|last2=Hu|first2=Hanjun|last3=Tan|first3=Tianwei|last4=Li|first4=Jinying|bibcode=2016EnvDe..20...83Y }}

China produced 272 Twh of electricity from natural gas in 2021.

China is a global powerhouse in the field of natural gas and one of the world's largest consumers and importers of natural gas. By the end of 2023, China's natural gas industry achieved major milestones, reflecting its important role in the country's energy transformation and its contribution to global natural gas market dynamics.

File:Jiangsu Suzhou Xiangcheng - Yuechengli area - Wangyu river IMG 7181 Huadian Wangting CCGT Power Plant.jpg

In 2023, China's natural gas production will increase significantly, with the total volume reaching approximately 229.7 billion cubic meters.{{Cite journal |last1=Gao |first1=Yun |last2=Wang |first2=Bei |last3=Hu |first3=Yidan |last4=Gao |first4=Yujie |last5=Hu |first5=Aolin |date=25 February 2024 |title=Development of China's natural gas: Review 2023 and outlook 2024 |url=https://www.cnki.net/KCMS/detail/detail.aspx?dbcode=CAPJ&dbname=CAPJLAST&filename=TRQG20240206001&uniplatform=OVERSEA&v=8xsT9mdy9KbCl3UW-9yKi8HjE3QrLJEiDNz5HWl0m3ep_epsbDp5lOdnHNkOyzwE |journal=Natural Gas Technology and Economy |volume=44 |issue=2 |pages=166–177}} This represents an increase of nearly 10 billion cubic meters per year and highlights China's efforts to increase domestic production and reduce reliance on imports. Despite the increase in domestic production, China remains the world's largest importer of liquefied natural gas (LNG), importing approximately 165.56 billion cubic meters of natural gas, of which LNG imports account for a large portion. This import capacity strengthens China's key role in the international LNG market and reflects its strategic measures to ensure energy security and supply stability.

Natural gas demand also rebounded, with apparent consumption increasing to 388.82 billion cubic meters. The growth highlights the growing role of natural gas in China's energy mix, driven by its economic recovery and transition to clean energy. Natural gas import dependence is 40.9%, indicating a balance between domestic production and imports to meet the country's energy needs.

File:Hanyang Guodingshan Waste to Energy Plant, Wuhan, China.JPG.]]

China produced 169 Twh of electricity from biomass, geothermal and other renewable sources of energy in 2021.

Since the implementation of supportive policies beginning in 2006, investment and growth in the biomass power sector have accelerated. By 2019, investments had reached an impressive 150.2 billion yuan, climbing further to over 160 billion yuan by 2020, with more than 1,350 biomass projects underway across the country. This growth trajectory has been marked by a significant increase in installed capacity, which saw a record addition of 6,280 MW in 2019. Although the COVID-19 pandemic slightly slowed momentum in 2020, reducing the added capacity to 5,430 MW, the sector's growth trend continued upwards.{{Cite journal |last1=Guo |first1=Hong |last2=Cui |first2=Jie |last3=Li |first3=Junhao |date=1 November 2022 |title=Biomass power generation in China: Status, policies and recommendations |journal=Energy Reports |series=2022 The 5th International Conference on Electrical Engineering and Green Energy |volume=8 |pages=687–696 |doi=10.1016/j.egyr.2022.08.072 |issn=2352-4847|doi-access=free |bibcode=2022EnRep...8R.687G }}

Policy initiatives introduced in 2012 and 2016 have been pivotal in spurring the expansion of biomass power generation, leading to a substantial increase in power output. By 2019, biomass power generation had achieved a total output of 111,100 GWh, which further rose to 132,600 GWh in 2020, indicating robust year-on-year growth.

{{Expand section|date=September 2021}}

Energy storage plays a critical role in China's energy landscape, serving as a key enabler for the large-scale integration of renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, into the national grid. By mitigating the variability and intermittency of renewable energy, storage technologies facilitate a more stable and reliable power supply. China has been investing heavily in various storage solutions, including battery storage systems, pumped hydro storage, and flywheel energy storage, among others. These technologies not only help in balancing supply and demand but also in improving the overall efficiency and resilience of the power system.

In 2023, China's energy storage industry saw a dramatic surge, with its capacity expanding nearly fourfold due to advancements in technologies such as lithium-ion batteries. This remarkable growth was fueled by an investment exceeding 100 billion yuan (around US$13.9 billion) in recent years. By the close of 2023, the capacity within the sector of new-type energy storage soared to 31.39 gigawatts (GW), achieving an increase of over 260% compared to the previous year and almost a tenfold rise since 2020. The sector encompasses a range of innovative technologies, including electrochemical energy storage, compressed air energy storage, flywheel energy storage, and thermal energy storage, while pumped hydro storage is not included in this category.{{Cite web |date=26 January 2024 |title=China's energy storage capacity using new tech almost quadrupled in 2023: NEA |url=https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3249883/chinas-energy-storage-capacity-using-new-tech-almost-quadrupled-2023-national-energy-administration |access-date=27 February 2024 |website=South China Morning Post |language=en}}

China's government has introduced a number of policies to promote the development of demand response, such as the 2012 "Interim Measures for the Management of Pilot Cities with Central Fiscal Funds to Support Electricity Demand Side Management."{{Cite journal |last1=Li |first1=Weilin |last2=Xu |first2=Peng |last3=Lu |first3=Xing |last4=Wang |first4=Huilong |last5=Pang |first5=Zhihong |date=1 November 2016 |title=Electricity demand response in China: Status, feasible market schemes and pilots |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S036054421631194X |journal=Energy |volume=114 |pages=981–994 |doi=10.1016/j.energy.2016.08.081 |bibcode=2016Ene...114..981L |issn=0360-5442|url-access=subscription }}

The DR mechanism incentivizes electricity users to adjust their consumption patterns based on signals from grid operators, either reducing demand during peak hours (peak shaving) or increasing demand during off-peak hours (valley filling).

This flexibility is critical to maintaining grid stability and ensuring efficient use of energy resources.{{Cite web |title=China's Demand Response in Action |url=https://www.integralnewenergy.com/?p=34063 |access-date=27 February 2024 |website=www.integralnewenergy.com |language=en-US}}

China's approach to DR has included pilot projects in cities like Suzhou, Beijing, and Shanghai, focusing on tariff reforms and pricing strategies to encourage participation. Despite these efforts, challenges remain, such as the low participation rate of grid companies and the lack of transparency in grid operation data, hindering the widespread adoption of DR.

The types of demand response in China are:

• Invitation DR: Local governments or grid companies invite consumers to participate in DR events, offering financial incentives for adjusting their load during specified times.{{Cite web |date=24 June 2015 |title=Demand Response in China |url=http://en.cnesa.org/latest-news/2015/6/24/demand-response-in-china |access-date=27 February 2024 |website=China Energy Storage Alliance |language=en-US}}
• Real-time DR: Requires participants to respond to demand response signals in real-time, often with minimal notice, to address immediate grid needs.
• Economic DR: Utilizes price signals, such as peak and off-peak rates, to motivate consumers to voluntarily adjust their energy usage according to the cost of electricity.

File:བོད་ལྗོངས་གློག་ཤུགས་ཀུང་སིས་བསྒྲགས།.jpg

The central government has made the creation of a unified national grid system a top economic priority to improve the efficiency of the whole power system and reduce the risk of localised energy shortages. It will also enable the country to tap the enormous hydro potential from western China to meet booming demand from the eastern coastal provinces. China is planning for smart grid and related Advanced Metering Infrastructure.{{cite news|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2010/09/29/china-wants-smart-grid-but-not-too-smart/|title=China Wants Smart Grid, But Not Too Smart|work=WSJ|date=29 September 2010|access-date=1 February 2016|last1=Areddy|first1=James}}

{{Main|Ultra-high-voltage electricity transmission in China}}

The main problem in China is the voltage drop when power is sent over very long distances from one region of the country to another.

Long distance inter-regional transmission has been implemented by using ultra-high voltages (UHV) of 800 kV, based on an extension of technology already in use in other parts of the world.Paul Hu: [http://cleanandsecuregrid.org/2017/01/02/a-new-energy-network-hvdc-development-in-china/ A New Energy Network: HVDC Development in China] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204231430/http://cleanandsecuregrid.org/2017/01/02/a-new-energy-network-hvdc-development-in-china/ |date=4 December 2023 }}, September 2016

In 2015, State Grid Corporation of China proposed the Global Energy Interconnection, a long-term proposal to develop globally integrated smart grids and ultra high voltage transmission networks to connect over 80 countries.{{Cite book |last1=Curtis |first1=Simon |title=The Belt and Road City: Geopolitics, Urbanization, and China's Search for a New International Order |last2=Klaus |first2=Ian |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=9780300266900 |location=New Haven and London |publication-date=2024 |doi=10.2307/jj.11589102 |jstor=jj.11589102}}{{Rp|pages=92-93}} The idea is supported by President Xi Jinping and China in attempting to develop support in various internal forums, including UN bodies.{{Rp|page=92}}

{{More citations needed|section|date=March 2024}}

In terms of the investment amount of China's listed power companies, the top three regions are Guangdong province, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Shanghai, whose investment ratios are 15.33%, 13.84% and 10.53% respectively, followed by Sichuan and Beijing.

China's listed power companies invest mostly in thermal power, hydropower and thermoelectricity, with their investments reaching CNY216.38 billion, CNY97.73 billion, and CNY48.58 billion respectively in 2007. Investment in gas exploration and coal mining follow as the next prevalent investment occurrences.

Major players in China's electric power industry include:

The five majors, and their listed subsidiaries:

The five majors are all SOEs directly administered by SASAC.{{cite web|url=http://www.sasac.gov.cn/n1180/n1226/n2425/index.html|title=中央企业_国务院国有资产监督管理委员会|website=Sasac.gov.cn|access-date=1 February 2016|archive-date=11 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311133226/http://www.sasac.gov.cn/n1180/n1226/n2425/index.html|url-status=dead}} Their listed subsidiaries are substantially independent, hence counted as IPPs, and are major power providers in their own right. Typically each of the big 5 has about 10% of national installed capacity, and their listed subsidiary has an extra 4 or 5% on top of that.

• China Datang Corporation

:parent of Datang International Power Generation Company (SEHK: 991; SSE: 601991)

• China Guodian Corporation ("Guodian")

:parent of GD Power Development Company (SSE: 600795),

• China Huadian Group

:parent of Huadian Power International Co., Ltd.

• China Huaneng Group

:parent of Huaneng Power International (NYSE:HNP)

• State Power Investment Corporation ("SPIC")

:parent of China Power International Development Limited ("CPID", 2380.HK)

Additionally, two other SOEs also have listed IPP subsidiaries:

• the coalmine owning Shenhua Group

:parent of China Shenhua Energy Company (SEHK: 1088, SSE: 601088)

• China Resources Group ("Huarun")

:parent of China Resources Power Holdings Company Limited ("CRP", SEHK: 836)

Secondary companies:

• Shenzhen Energy Co., Ltd.
• Guangdong Yuedian Group Co., Ltd.
• Anhui Province Energy Group Co., Ltd.
• Hebei Jiantou Energy Investment Co., Ltd.
• Guangdong Baolihua New Energy Stock Co., Ltd.
• Shandong Luneng Taishan Cable Co., Ltd.
• Guangzhou Development Industry (Holdings) Co., Ltd.
• Chongqing Jiulong Electric Power Co., Ltd.
• Chongqing Fuling Electric Power Industrial Co., Ltd.
• Shenergy Company (SSE: 600642), Shanghai.
• Shenergy Group, Shanghai.
• Sichuan Chuantou Energy Stock Co., Ltd.
• Naitou Securities Co., Ltd.
• Panjiang Coal and Electric Power Group
• Hunan Huayin Electric Power Co., Ltd.
• Shanxi Top Energy Co., Ltd.
• Inner Mongolia Mengdian Huaneng Thermal Power Co., Ltd.
• SDIC Huajing Power Holdings Co., Ltd.{{cite web|url=http://www.sdicpower.com/|title=SDIC Power Homepage|website=Sdicpower.com|access-date=24 August 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/finance/quote/600886:SHA|title=SDIC Power Holdings Co Ltd: SHA:600886 quotes & news – Google Finance|website=Google.com|access-date=1 February 2016}}
• Sichuan MinJiang Hydropower Co., Ltd.
• Yunnan Wenshan Electric Power Co., Ltd.
• Guangxi Guidong Electric Power Co., Ltd.
• Sichuan Xichang Electric Power Co., Ltd.
• Sichuan Mingxing Electric Power Co., Ltd.
• Sichuan Guangan Aaa Public Co., Ltd.
• Sichuan Leshan Electric Power Co., Ltd.
• Fujian MingDong Electric Power Co., Ltd.
• Guizhou Qianyuan Power Co., Ltd.

Nuclear and hydro:

• China Three Gorges Corporation
• China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group
• China Yangtze Power (listed)
• Sinohydro Corporation an engineering company.
• Guangdong Meiyan Hydropower Co., Ltd.

Grid operators include:

• State Grid Corporation of China
• China Southern Power Grid
• Wenzhou CHINT Group Corporation ("Zhengtai")

Creation of a spot market has been suggested to properly use energy storage.{{Cite journal|last1=Kahrl|first1=Fredrich|last2=Lin|first2=Jiang|last3=Liu|first3=Xu|last4=Hu|first4=Junfeng|date=24 September 2021|title=Sunsetting coal power in China|journal=iScience|language=en|volume=24|issue=9|page=102939|doi=10.1016/j.isci.2021.102939|issn=2589-0042|pmid=34458696|pmc=8379489|bibcode=2021iSci...24j2939K}}

{{More citations needed|section|date=March 2024}}

More than a third of electricity is used by industry.{{cite web|date=10 September 2021|title=Beijing power companies close to bankruptcy petition for price hikes|url=https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3148291/china-coal-fired-power-companies-verge-bankruptcy-petition|access-date=12 September 2021|website=South China Morning Post|language=en}} China consists of three largely self-governing territories: the mainland, Hong Kong, and Macau. The introduction of electricity to the country was not coordinated between the territories, leading to partially different electrical standards. Mainland China uses type A and I power plugs with 220 V and 50 Hz; Hong Kong and Macau both use type G power plugs with 220 V and 50 Hz. Inter-territorial travelers may therefore require a power adapter.

• Mains electricity by country

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

• {{Cite report

|date=5 April 2021

|title=Boom and Bust 2021: Tracking The Global Coal Plant Pipeline

|url=https://globalenergymonitor.org/report/boom-and-bust-2021-tracking-the-global-coal-plant-pipeline-2/

|publisher=Global Energy Monitor

}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20081210085401/http://www.epri.ac.cn/ China Electric Power Research Institute] – associated with the State Grid Corporation of China
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20081123023636/http://www.chinaenergy.gov.cn/ Office of the National Energy Leading Group]
• [http://www.ces.org.cn/ China Electrotechnical Society]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20081013100322/http://www.eri.org.cn/Era.asp?columnid=33&title=Briefs Energy Research Institute of China]
• [http://www.goldenlanterns.com/china-powergrid_resources.html China Electric Power Database]
• [http://info.hktdc.com/report/indprof/indprof_060101.htm China's oversupply of electric power worrisome] 2 January 2006 Zhang Mingquan – HK Trade Council
• [http://www.2456.com/JasperWeb/Shows/sid-212/lang-eng/details.aspx China Electric Power Industry Forum] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081031070825/http://www.2456.com/JasperWeb/Shows/sid-212/lang-eng/details.aspx |date=31 October 2008 }}
• [http://www.china-epower.com/ China EPower Forum]

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Category:Industry in China