Energy Transition & Power Demand▲
Grid investment in the 15th Five-Year Plan period exceeds 5 trillion yuan, with distribution networks becoming the largest structural increment
More than 5 trillion yuan of incremental grid investment during the 15th Five-Year Plan period has officially entered the implementation phase, with distribution network upgrades becoming the largest structural increment in this round of investment. Data from the National Energy Administration shows that grid investment in the first half of this year rose 13.5 percent year on year. State Grid completed fixed asset investment of more than 310 billion yuan, up 12.6 percent year on year, while China Southern Power Grid completed 89.262 billion yuan, up 14.79 percent, the highest level for the same period on record. The National Development and Reform Commission has made clear that it will plan and build a number of transmission corridors and inter-provincial power mutual support projects, and implement three major programs: upgrading urban distribution networks, renovating weak county-level grids, and addressing frequent power outages in rural grids. In the first quarter of 2026, State Grid invested 56.8 billion yuan in distribution networks, already accounting for as much as 55 percent of grid investment at all levels. According to estimates by the National Energy Administration, the 5 trillion yuan of investment will drive total upstream and downstream activity of more than 10 trillion yuan and directly create over one million jobs.