the fourth Plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee made a strategic plan for building an energy power, and the Central Economic work Conference stressed the need to formulate a plan for building an energy power. The 2026 National Energy work Conference profoundly expounded and systematically planned the core principles, strategic objectives and implementation paths of building an energy power, providing direction guidance for the development of energy and electricity in the new period. Electric power is an important material basis for economic and social development. Better overall planning of power security and green and low-carbon transformation is related to the overall situation of energy power construction. Under the new situation, insisting on power first will provide all-round strategic support for the construction of an energy power.

1. scientifically grasp the development orientation of electric power in an energy power

The high-quality development of electric power lays a solid foundation for the construction of an energy power. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the power industry has fully implemented the new energy security strategy of "four revolutions and one cooperation". The development of electric power has made historic achievements that have attracted worldwide attention, effectively meeting the people's growing electricity needs for a better life. Electricity demand has maintained rapid growth, and the electricity consumption of the whole society is expected to exceed 10 trillion kilowatt-hours for the first time in 2025. The power supply guarantee is strong and effective, and a clean power supply system with diversified development of coal, gas, nuclear, new energy and renewable energy has been basically formed. As of November 2025, the country's cumulative installed power generation capacity reached 3.79 billion kilowatts, exceeding the total installed capacity of G7 countries. The ability to optimize the allocation of power grid resources is leading in the world, the transmission capacity of "power transmission from west to east" has reached 0.34 billion kilowatts, the coordinated development of power grids at all levels, and the application scale of intelligent power distribution and distributed microgrid has gradually expanded. The green transformation of power has accelerated, and wind power photovoltaics have achieved a leap in development, surpassing thermal power installations for the first time in March 2025. Power technology innovation is changing with each passing day. New energy power generation, advanced nuclear power, large-capacity hydropower, and clean coal power technologies are internationally leading, and they have mastered UHV core technologies with independent intellectual property rights and a full set of equipment manufacturing capabilities. The efficiency of power governance has continued to improve, and a unified national power market has been initially established to support the healthy development of coal power and promote the efficient consumption of new energy sources and other new electricity price mechanisms. Fully implement the "Belt and Road" initiative, actively participate in global climate governance, and a number of overseas power landmark projects and "small and beautiful" projects have been implemented, with significant comprehensive benefits.

The new power system is the inherent requirement and critical path for the construction of an energy power. At present, energy production and consumption show a clear trend of electrification. From the perspective of typical indicators, the proportion of power generation energy in primary energy consumption in China has reached about 50%, and the electrification rate of terminal energy has reached about 30%. The electrification level has exceeded that of major developed economies in Europe and the United States. Support the realization of the national non-fossil energy consumption proportion of more than 80% in 2060. It is estimated that power generation energy will account for about 80% of primary energy consumption, and the electric gasification rate of terminal energy will exceed 60%. This also means that the huge amount of new electricity demand in the future will be superimposed on the in-depth adjustment of energy and power supply structure, which puts forward higher requirements for the transformation and upgrading of power system and the coupling utilization of energy and power. Standing at the overall height of the "double carbon" leadership, the Party Central Committee and the State Council have made major decisions and deployments to accelerate the construction of a new power system. Its core essence is in line with the requirements of building an energy power. With new energy as the main carrier and increasing the proportion of supply, the coordinated development of the whole link of power source network load storage will play a key role in improving energy self-sufficiency rate, unblocking energy resource allocation channels and deep participation in global energy governance, and the new power system is an important carrier for the construction of an energy power.

Building an energy power requires greater efforts to promote electricity first. For a long time, the power industry has adhered to moderate advanced development, and the growth rate of power investment has continued to maintain a high level, driving the release of advanced power productivity, and providing an important power guarantee for the expansion and quality improvement of the industry. During the "Tenth Five-Year Plan" period, to promote the construction of an energy power to better adapt to the profound and complex changes in the development environment, it is also necessary to give full play to the leading role of electric power in the overall layout of modern energy economy. Actively serve the strategy of expanding domestic demand internally, plan ahead and lay out a number of major project groups representing new quality and productivity of electric power, accelerate the cultivation and development of emerging industries in the field of electric power, boost the construction of new energy infrastructure, and lead the construction of manufacturing power, quality power, aerospace power, transportation power and network power with high-level clean and low-carbon power supply of energy power, strive for the initiative in the construction of international carbon emission reduction governance systems such as power carbon emission traceability and certification, and enhance the green development competitiveness of export-oriented industries.

2. to show new responsibilities of electric power in the construction of an energy power

to support the construction of an energy power power with electric power first, we should focus on building a new power system according to the planning goal of initially building a new energy system in 2030, focus on strengthening the "five forces", and strive to achieve excellent power supply combination, high power grid toughness, sufficient regulation resources and good use of green electricity.

Enhance power security capabilities. Consolidate and consolidate the clean power supply foundation of non-fossil energy and traditional energy multi-wheel drive, on the basis of focusing on improving the active support capacity of new energy, ensuring that hydropower in the planned river basin and coastal nuclear power are completed and put into operation on schedule, combined with changes in the power supply and demand situation, reasonable arrangements for clean, efficient and flexible coal power to ensure the adequacy of power supply. We will promote the construction of a new power grid platform coordinated by the main distribution microgrid, enhance the intelligent dispatching capacity of the power grid, and ensure the safe and stable operation of the new power system.

Enhance the ability of green development of electric power. Scientifically co-ordinate the development, consumption and regulation of new energy, accelerate the formation of a new energy base, a watershed water and wind integration base, an offshore wind power base, a centralized new energy in the province, and a new situation of coordinated development of multiple paths of "distributed new energy +" to support an average annual increase of more than 0.2 billion kilowatts of new energy power generation capacity. Increase the power system regulation capacity, optimize the layout of pumped storage construction, and promote the new energy storage to play a multi-functional value. Promote the healthy development of new power formats such as the integration of source and network storage, direct connection of green power, and smart microgrids, and promote the development and growth of zero-carbon parks and green manufacturing.

Enhance the ability to lead in power technology. Coordinate the promotion of new power system applicable technology transformation, advanced technology promotion and major technology research and development, and guide the distribution of new power quality productivity by region. We will promote the application of multi-technical routes for new energy and high-efficiency power generation, promote the innovation of advanced nuclear power technology, promote the pilot of a new generation of coal power technology, accelerate the expansion of the coverage of flexible DC transmission technology, and strengthen the core technology of network-type equipment, long-term energy storage and green power hydrogen production. Vigorously implement the "artificial intelligence plus" power integration development, relying on digital intelligence new technology to create a new scenario of electricity collaboration, virtual power plant, carbon electricity collaboration.

Enhance power modern service capabilities. Accelerate the construction of a unified national electricity market, improve the market-based electricity price mechanism, stabilize the price level of terminal electricity, and encourage electricity production and industrial investment. We will promote the equalization of universal services for urban and rural electricity, deepen the transformation of urban distribution networks, and speed up the completion of the short board of rural power grids. We will implement the whole process of digital intelligence service, enrich the function of intelligent electricity inquiry service, and support power supply enterprises to provide value-added services such as green electricity consumption and product carbon certification.

Enhance the international influence of the power industry. We will improve the carbon footprint of China's power products, speed up the mutual recognition of power carbon emission accounting methods and carbon footprint standards, and ensure the demand for carbon certification of export products of foreign trade enterprises. Further promote the international mutual recognition of China's green certificates, improve the international common green energy consumption and certification mechanism, build China's green power certification standard system, and actively strive for the right to speak in global climate governance. Expand overseas investment in green power, meet the green development needs of the "Belt and Road" countries, build a number of green power best practice projects with good economic benefits and strong demonstration effects, and improve the overseas power service system.

(Yang Kun, Party Secretary and Executive Vice Chairman of China Electricity Council)