(ECNS) -- Ahead of the 2026 Lunar New Year, questions emerged over whether China's power grid could handle seasonal demand as hundreds of millions traveled and celebrated. Authorities said the system operated steadily during the holiday period, with no major disruptions reported.
Electricity demand in China has risen sharply in recent years, particularly during periods of extreme weather. According to the National Energy Administration (NEA), total electricity consumption surpassed 10 trillion kilowatt-hours in 2025 for the first time, reflecting continued growth in industrial activity and household use.
Grid stability during extreme weather has become a challenge in many countries in recent years, underscoring the importance of infrastructure investment and system coordination.
Power demand has also reached new highs this winter. Three regional grids — North China, Northwest China and Northeast China — along with 14 provincial-level grids, set a combined 86 new peak-load records while maintaining stable operations, authorities said.
Officials attribute the grid's performance to sustained investment in infrastructure and generation capacity. Investment in major energy projects exceeded 3.5 trillion yuan (about $490 billion) in 2025, up nearly 11% from a year earlier, said Xing Yiteng, an official with the NEA.
This growth rate outpaced infrastructure investment by 12.9 percentage points and manufacturing investment by 10.1 percentage points during the same period.
A comprehensive policy system for risk prevention and emergency response has been established for China's power sector, said Jiang Debin, an expert with the China Electricity Council. He added that ongoing efforts to improve extreme weather forecasting and conduct regular security drills are critical to maintaining grid stability.
By the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021–2025), China's total installed power generation capacity had reached 3.89 billion kilowatts, the highest globally. Renewable energy capacity continued to expand, supported by ultra-high-voltage transmission lines designed to deliver electricity from western generating bases to eastern population centers. West-to-east transmission capacity reached 340 million kilowatts during the period.
Authorities also cited improvements in emergency response coordination and the development of a unified national electricity market, which they said has helped balance supply and demand across regions.
Energy analysts note that as electricity consumption continues to grow — driven by electrification, industrial upgrading and renewable integration — maintaining grid stability will remain a key policy focus during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–2030).
Meanwhile, the accelerated construction of a unified national electricity market has significantly boosted power trading volumes. This has effectively optimized resource allocation while balancing supply security, green transition goals, and price stability.
The unified national electricity market system has provided significant support for advancing the construction of a new-type power system and promoting economic and social development, said the NEA.
(By Zhang Dongfang)
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