China State Grid Targets RMB 4 Trillion Investment in Major Power Network Expansion

The utility giant plans record spending on renewable integration, ultra-high-voltage transmission and EV charging infrastructure as Beijing accelerates its long-term energy transition.

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State Grid Corporation of China said it plans to invest about RMB 4 trillion during the country’s upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan period, marking a roughly 40% increase from the previous planning cycle and the largest capital program in its history.

The investment will focus on building a modernised power system, expanding grid reliability and supporting China’s long-term carbon reduction objectives.

Officials said key targets include raising the share of non-fossil energy consumption to 25% and increasing electricity’s share of final energy demand to 35%, reflecting Beijing’s broader shift toward electrification and cleaner energy sources.

State Grid expects annual additions of around 200 gigawatts of wind and solar capacity within its operating regions, underscoring the scale of renewable deployment planned over the next several years.

A major priority will be the construction of an integrated grid platform combining main transmission lines, local distribution networks and microgrids.

The company also plans to accelerate development of ultra-high-voltage direct-current transmission corridors, aimed at improving long-distance power delivery from western energy-producing regions to eastern demand centres.

Cross-regional and inter-provincial transmission capacity is expected to rise more than 30% compared with the previous planning period, reinforcing China’s “west-to-east” and “north-to-south” power transfer strategy.

At the local level, State Grid said it will address bottlenecks in urban, rural and remote areas by upgrading infrastructure and expanding access for distributed wind and solar projects.

The plan also supports integrated source-grid-load-storage systems and emerging industrial applications such as zero-carbon factories and clean-energy industrial parks.

Separately, the company said the investment roadmap includes infrastructure capable of supporting about 35 million charging facilities, highlighting Beijing’s push to accelerate electric-vehicle adoption and transport electrification.

The spending plan signals China’s intent to use infrastructure investment and energy transition projects as dual engines of long-term economic growth.

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