National Energy Administration: Organize and carry out the first batch of pilot work for the construction of new-type power systems

The National Energy Administration organized the first batch of pilot work for new-type power system construction. It proposed focusing on cutting-edge directions related to new-type power systems, conducting single-direction pilots through typical projects and multi-direction comprehensive pilots through representative cities, exploring new technologies and models for new-type power system construction, and promoting breakthroughs in this field. Emphasis will be placed on key breakthroughs, initially covering seven directions: grid-forming technology, system-friendly new energy power stations, smart microgrids, computing-power-electricity coordination, virtual power plants, large-scale high-proportion new energy transmission, and next-generation coal power. The principle of adapting to local conditions will be followed, selecting suitable directions for pilot projects based on regional realities and reasonably determining their scale and scope. Innovation leadership will be prioritized, encouraging the adoption of new technologies and models, supporting pilot projects to apply achievements from national major smart grid technology projects and energy equipment "shortcomings improvement" initiatives, while simultaneously advancing institutional reforms.

It specifically proposed focusing on national hub nodes and non-hub node regions with abundant energy resources such as Qinghai, Xinjiang, and Heilongjiang. Based on scientific integration of source-load-storage resources, the plan coordinates regional existing and incremental data center green electricity demands with new energy resource conditions, jointly planning computing-power and electricity projects. By exploring the "green electricity aggregated supply" model featuring nearby new energy power supply, aggregated transactions, and local consumption, the proportion of green electricity in data centers will be increased. Through technologies like joint forecasting of computing load and new energy power, flexible control of computing load, and intelligent dispatching, source-load coordination will be enhanced, reducing power grid capacity requirements during peak periods. Data center waste heat recovery will be strengthened to improve energy efficiency. The joint operation of solar thermal power with wind and PV power will be explored to enhance stable supply capacity.

Notice of the National Energy Administration on Organizing the First Batch of Pilot Work for New-Type Power System Construction

NEA Power [2025] No. 53

To provincial (autonomous region, municipality) energy bureaus, relevant provincial (autonomous region, municipality) and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps development and reform commissions, Beijing Municipal Urban Management Commission, dispatched agencies of the National Energy Administration, and relevant central state-owned enterprises:

To implement the requirements of the Notice of the National Development and Reform Commission, National Energy Administration, and National Data Bureau on Issuing the Action Plan for Accelerating the Construction of New-Type Power Systems (2024-2027) (NDRC Energy [2024] No. 1128), typical and representative directions have been selected for pilot exploration. Relevant matters are hereby notified as follows.

I. General Requirements

Focus on cutting-edge directions related to new-type power systems, conduct single-direction pilots through typical projects and multi-direction comprehensive pilots through representative cities, explore new technologies and models for new-type power system construction, and promote breakthroughs in this field. We will persist in making breakthroughs in key areas by initially carrying out pilot work in seven directions: grid-forming technology, system-friendly new energy power plants, smart microgrids, collaborative computing and power systems, virtual power plants, large-scale and high-proportion new energy transmission, and the new generation of coal-fired power. We will persist in adapting measures to local conditions by selecting suitable directions for pilot projects based on the actual situations of different regions, and reasonably determining the scale and scope of the pilot projects. We will persist in innovation-driven development by encouraging the adoption of new technologies and models, supporting the application of major national science and technology projects in smart grids and the "short-board-filling" achievements in energy technology and equipment in pilot projects, and simultaneously carrying out institutional and mechanism reforms. We will persist in whole-process management by effectively managing the entire process of pilot projects, including application selection, organization and implementation, effect evaluation, and promotion and application, to ensure the implementation effect and play a leading role.

II. Pilot Directions

(1) Grid-forming technology. We will focus on applying new energy/new-type energy storage grid-forming control technologies in weak power grid areas with a high proportion of new energy access and in large-scale new energy transmission areas in "desert, gobi, and wasteland" bases to effectively address issues such as reduced short-circuit capacity, decreased inertia, and wide-frequency oscillations, thereby enhancing the new energy grid connection and transmission capabilities. In areas with weak power grid structures and isolated island operation systems, we will apply grid-forming control technologies to improve the system's voltage, frequency, and power angle stability capabilities, and enhance the level of power supply security and system stable operation.

(2) System-friendly new energy power plants. We will focus on constructing or renovating a batch of new energy power plants in regions with tight power supply or significant consumption pressure. Through long-term and high-precision power forecasting, as well as intelligent joint regulation and operation of wind and solar power and energy storage systems, we will enhance the system-friendly performance of these power plants, increasing their confident output capacity during peak periods (no less than 2 hours) to over 10%. These power plants will sign collaborative dispatching agreements with dispatching institutions, clarifying the collaborative dispatching operation mode, as well as the reliable capacity and support duration included in the power balance. The power plants will declare their collaborative operation power forecasting results and power generation plan suggestions one day in advance, and the dispatching institutions will improve the dispatching operation rules to incorporate the power plants into the intraday power balance based on the data reported by the power plants. Priority will be given to constructing or renovating projects with a new energy installed capacity of over 200,000 kW.

(3) Smart microgrids. We will select typical application scenarios and, in combination with new energy resource conditions, construct a batch of smart microgrid projects. By relying on technologies such as flexible regulation and control of load-side resources, generation-grid-load-storage networking, and collaborative operation control, we will improve the self-peak-shaving and self-balancing capabilities of smart microgrids, increase the proportion of self-generated and self-consumed new energy, and alleviate the consumption pressure on the large power grid. Smart microgrids will clarify the interfaces with the large power grid in terms of assets, management, etc., as well as the rights and obligations in terms of dispatching control, interactive operation, and the use of regulatory resources in the grid connection agreements.

(IV) Synergy between computing power and electricity. The focus will be on national hub nodes and non-hub node regions with favorable energy resource conditions, such as Qinghai, Xinjiang, and Heilongjiang. On the basis of scientifically integrating source, load, and storage resources, we will coordinate the green electricity demand of existing and incremental data centers in the region with the conditions of new energy resources, and plan and layout computing power and electricity projects in a coordinated manner. By exploring the "green electricity aggregated supply" model, which involves nearby power supply from new energy sources, aggregated transactions, and local consumption, we will increase the proportion of green electricity in data centers. Through technologies such as joint forecasting of computing power load and new energy power, flexible control of computing power load, and intelligent dispatching, we will enhance the level of source-load coordination and reduce the demand for power grid security capacity during peak load periods. We will strengthen the recycling and utilization of waste heat resources from data centers to improve energy use efficiency. We will explore the joint operation of solar thermal power generation with wind and PV power generation to enhance the level of stable supply.

(V) Virtual power plants. Focusing on scenarios such as aggregating decentralized power resources, enhancing flexible regulation capabilities, reducing power supply gaps, and promoting the consumption of new energy, we will build or retrofit a number of different types of virtual power plants according to local conditions. By aggregating various decentralized resources on the load side, such as distributed power sources, controllable loads, and energy storage, and through coordinated and optimized control, we will fully leverage flexible regulation capabilities. We will continue to enrich the business models of virtual power plants by participating in the electricity market and demand response, providing comprehensive energy services such as energy-saving services, energy data analysis, energy solution design, and carbon trading-related services, and generating corresponding revenues.

(VI) Large-scale and high-proportion transmission of new energy. The focus will be on the transmission needs arising from the development of the "desert, gobi, and barren land" bases in north-west China and the integrated wind, solar, and hydro bases in the main river basins of south-west China. In conjunction with the national planning and construction of cross-provincial and cross-regional power transmission channels, we will reasonably configure the type and scale of supporting power sources at the sending end, optimize the scheme for connecting to the power system, adopt advanced technologies such as integrated power source coordinated control, flexible DC, multi-source adaptive commutation DC (SLCC), low-frequency transmission, and grid-forming technologies, and reasonably deploy reactive power compensation and energy consumption devices. This will improve the safe, stable operation, and flexible control level of the transmission channels, increase the proportion of green electricity transmitted through the channels, and explore methods for transmitting pure new energy, thereby promoting the consumption of a higher proportion of new energy through transmission.

(VII) New-generation coal-fired power. In line with the pilot indicator requirements for new-generation coal-fired power plants outlined in the Implementation Plan for the Special Action on Upgrading New-Generation Coal-Fired Power (2025-2027), we will actively promote pilot projects for existing and new units that meet the conditions, targeting two categories of indicators: clean and low-carbon emissions, and efficient regulation. We will encourage the launch of pilot projects for new-generation coal-fired power plants that meet both categories of indicators simultaneously. In terms of clean and low-carbon emissions, we will significantly reduce carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants by adopting carbon reduction measures such as co-firing with zero-carbon and low-carbon fuels, and CCUS (carbon capture, utilization, and storage), taking into account regional characteristics and resource endowments. In terms of enhancing efficient regulation capabilities, it is necessary to meet all technical indicator requirements for efficient regulation, carry out technological innovation applications for main and auxiliary equipment, and optimize system integration. The focus is on improving the rapid load-changing, deep peak shaving, and wide-load efficient regulation capabilities of coal-fired power units in regions with high demand for rapid power grid regulation and insufficient peak shaving capacity. Units should possess the capability for safe and reliable start-stop peak shaving.

III. Organization and Implementation

(1) Pilot Project Application. For pilot projects in a single direction, applications shall be submitted by provincial energy authorities or the headquarters of central state-owned enterprises (excluding next-generation coal power pilot projects). Next-generation coal power pilot projects shall be uniformly submitted by provincial energy authorities, and a project support letter from the headquarters of the affiliated enterprise is required. For comprehensive pilot projects, provincial energy authorities shall organize energy authorities at the prefecture-level city level to select multiple pilot directions based on local conditions, forming a comprehensive pilot plan with prefecture-level cities as units, considering the construction of new-type power systems in the region, and submit the application to the National Energy Administration. Among them, comprehensive pilot projects led by central state-owned enterprises shall be jointly submitted by provincial energy authorities and central state-owned enterprises with prefecture-level cities as units.

Provincial energy authorities and the headquarters of central state-owned enterprises shall widely solicit pilot projects, conduct reviews of similar projects based on application requirements, project feasibility, technical and economic viability, etc., and submit pilot project applications to the National Energy Administration on this basis. The construction or renovation commencement time of the applied projects must be after August 2024. If relevant approval, authorization, or filing procedures are required, the relevant procedures shall be obtained at the time of application (excluding next-generation coal power pilot projects). Next-generation coal power pilot projects must ensure the fulfillment of project element guarantee conditions.

Provincial energy authorities and central state-owned enterprises shall organize the completion of application forms (see the appendix for details) and submit the stamped paper materials to the National Energy Administration (Department of Electricity) by June 30, 2025, with electronic materials sent simultaneously to the email address sunhe@nea.gov.cn.

(2) Pilot Project Review. The National Energy Administration shall formulate a work plan for pilot project reviews, refine review criteria and procedures, and, upon receipt of application materials, entrust qualified third-party professional institutions to conduct reviews in accordance with the work plan. After review, a batch of projects and cities will be selected and included in the first batch of pilot projects and announced in a document. Subsequent pilot project applications and reviews will be conducted as appropriate. For newly planned and constructed next-generation coal power pilot projects, further implementation of project approval (filing) and other documents will be carried out after inclusion in the pilot scope. The relevant materials for the pilot projects determined through review will be simultaneously transferred to the relevant dispatched institutions of the National Energy Administration.

(3) Project Implementation. After the pilot projects are determined, local energy authorities and project units shall strictly adhere to the plans proposed during the pilot project application for construction or renovation work. If significant changes to the plans occur, an application must be submitted to the National Energy Administration through provincial energy authorities or the headquarters of central state-owned enterprises. Energy authorities at all levels and central state-owned enterprises should track the implementation of projects throughout the process, coordinate to resolve relevant issues, and ensure the smooth progress of projects. During this process, provincial energy authorities and central state-owned enterprises should promptly report the phased progress to the National Energy Administration (NEA). The dispatched offices of the NEA should, in line with their responsibilities, strengthen tracking, supervision, and services for the pilot projects, and promote the implementation of the pilot plans.

(IV) Supportive Policies. Energy authorities at all levels, the dispatched offices of the NEA, and central state-owned enterprises should, based on the needs for pilot exploration and innovation, actively carry out institutional and mechanism reforms, address policy bottlenecks, and create a policy environment conducive to the implementation of pilot projects. They should make coordinated use of funding channels such as ultra-long-term special treasury bonds to support pilot projects that meet the support directions and policy requirements. The achievements of pilot projects should be incorporated into the evaluation system for the construction of a new-type power system as an important component for assessing the effectiveness of its construction. The required coal-fired power generation capacity for the new-generation coal-fired power pilot projects should be prioritized and arranged by the NEA within the coal-fired power planning and construction capacity formulated by the state based on total volume control. Support should be given to the joint operation of upgraded units of existing coal-fired power plants, newly built units, and new-generation coal-fired power pilot units with new energy, and the new energy projects involved in joint operation should be encouraged to be connected to the grid on a priority basis.

(V) Evaluation and Promotion. The NEA should organize comprehensive evaluations of the pilot projects in a timely manner, promptly summarize and promote advanced technologies, mature models, and supporting policy mechanisms, and give full play to the leading and driving role of the pilot projects. Pilot projects that fail to make progress should have their pilot titles revoked.

National Energy Administration

May 23, 2025