National Energy Administration: Coordinate planning and layout of computing power and electricity projects to increase the proportion of green electricity in data centers.

On June 4th, the National Energy Administration issued a notification about organizing the first batch of pilot projects for the construction of a new type of electricity system. It proposes focusing on national hub nodes and regions with good energy resource conditions such as Qinghai, Xinjiang, and Heilongjiang in non-hub node areas, and on the basis of scientifically integrating source-load-storage resources, coordinating regional existing and incremental data center green electricity demand, and new energy resource conditions, and jointly planning the layout of computing power and electricity projects. By exploring the "green electricity aggregation supply" model of new energy supply nearby, aggregated transactions, and on-site consumption, the proportion of green electricity for data centers is increased. Large-scale high-proportion new energy export. It focuses on the demand for export development of the "Shahe Desert" base in the northwest region, and the water-wind integrated new energy base development in the major river basins in the southwest region, combining the planned construction of cross-provincial and cross-regional transmission channels by the state, and through the rational allocation of supporting power types and scales at the sending end, optimizing the access power system scheme, adopting advanced technologies such as integrated power control, flexible DC, multi-source adaptive commutation DC (SLCC), low-frequency transmission, grid-type, etc., and rational deployment of reactive compensation and energy-consuming devices to improve the safety and stability of the transmission channel operation and flexible control level, enhance the proportion of green electricity transmission in the transmission channel and explore pure new energy export methods to promote higher proportion of new energy export absorption. Original text: Notice on Organizing the First Batch of Pilot Projects for the Construction of a New Type of Electricity System by the National Energy Bureau NEA Power [2025] No. 53 Energy bureaus of all provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government), development and reform commissions of relevant provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government), and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Beijing Urban Management Committee, various agencies of the National Energy Administration, relevant central enterprises: In order to implement the requirements of the "Notice of the National Development and Reform Commission, National Energy Administration, National Bureau of Statistics on Printing and Distributing the Action Plan for Accelerating the Construction of a New Type of Electricity System (2024-2027)" (NDRC Energy [2024] No. 1128), select typical, representative directions to carry out pilot explorations, and now inform the relevant matters as follows. I. General requirements Focus on the relevant cutting-edge directions of the new type of electricity system, carry out pilot exploration in a single direction based on typical projects, and in multiple directions based on typical cities, explore new technologies and models for the construction of a new type of electricity system, and promote breakthroughs in the construction of a new type of electricity system. Adhere to key breakthroughs, focus on the pilot work in seven directions including grid-type technologies, system-friendly new energy power plants, intelligent microgrids, collaboration between computing power and electricity, virtual power plants, large-scale high-proportion new energy exports, and new generation coal-fired power plants. Adhere to targeted measures, combine the actual conditions of each region, select suitable directions to arrange pilot projects, and reasonably determine the scale and scope of the pilot projects. Adhere to innovation-driven, encourage the use of new technologies and models, support the application of major national science and technology projects in the smart grid and energy technology equipment "short board" achievements, and simultaneously carry out institutional and mechanistic reforms. Adhere to full-process management, do a good job in the application, organization, implementation, effect evaluation, and promotion of pilot projects to ensure implementation effects and play a driving role. II. Pilot directions (1) Grid-type technology. Focus on weak grid areas with high proportions of new energy access and large-scale new energy export areas in the "Shahe Desert" base, apply new energy/new type energy storage grid-type control technology to effectively solve problems such as decreased short-circuit capacity, reduced inertia, and wide-frequency oscillation, and improve the capacity of new energy access and export. In regions with weak power grid structures and isolated operation systems, apply grid-type control technology to improve system voltage, frequency, and power angle stability, and enhance power supply safety and system stability. (2) System-friendly new energy power plants. Focus on regions with tight power supply or significant consumption pressure, build or transform a batch of new energy power plants, through long-scale high-precision power prediction, wind-solar storage smart joint regulation operation, etc., to enhance system-friendly performance, and increase peak confidence output during peak periods by more than 10%. Power plants sign coordination dispatch agreements with dispatching agencies to specify coordination dispatch operation methods and reliable capacity and support duration included in the power balance. Power plant power forecast results and generation plan suggestions are reported in advance, dispatch agencies improve dispatch operation rules, and integrate power plants into daily power balance based on reported data. Priority is given to the construction or transformation of projects with a new energy installed capacity of over 200,000 kilowatts. (3) Intelligent microgrids. Select typical application scenarios, combine new energy resource conditions, build a batch of intelligent microgrid projects, rely on flexible load-side resource regulation, source-grid-load-storage group networking, and collaborative operation control technologies to improve the self-peak regulation and self-balance capacity of intelligent microgrids, increase the proportion of new energy self-generation and usage, alleviate the pressure of large power grid integration...High proportion of new energy external transmission. Focus on the development and external transmission demand of integrated new energy bases in the "Shagohuang" base in the northwest region and the major watershed water and wind integrated new energy bases in the southwest region. Combined with the national clear planning and construction of inter-provincial and inter-regional power transmission channels, through reasonable allocation of end-point supporting power supply types and scales, optimization of access power system solutions, use of advanced technologies such as integrated control of power sources, flexible direct current, Multi-source adaptive commutation direct current (SLCC), low-frequency power transmission, grid-type, etc., reasonable deployment of reactive power compensation and energy-consuming devices, improvement of the safety and stability of power transmission channels and flexible control level, enhancing the proportion of green power transmission in power transmission channels and exploring pure new energy external transmission modes, promoting the absorption of higher proportion of new energy external transmission.(Seven) New Generation Coal Power. Compared to the requirements of the "Implementation Plan for the Special Action to Upgrade New Generation Coal Power (2025-2027)", actively promote pilot projects for existing units and new units that meet the conditions to focus on two types of indicators: clean carbon reduction and efficient regulation. Encourage the establishment of pilot projects for new generation coal power that meet both types of indicators simultaneously. Regarding clean carbon reduction, based on regional characteristics and resource endowment, by adopting measures such as burning zero-carbon and low-carbon fuels, CCUS (carbon capture, utilization, and storage), significant reductions in coal-fired carbon emissions can be achieved. With regards to improving efficient regulation capabilities, it is necessary to meet all technical indicators for efficient regulation, promote technological innovation and system integration optimization for the main and auxiliary equipment, and focus on enhancing the rapid load reduction, deep peak regulation, and wide load efficient regulation capabilities of coal-fired generating units in regions with high demand for grid fast regulation and peak shaving deficiencies. Units should have the ability to start, stop, and peak regulation safely and reliably. III. Organization and Implementation (1) Pilot project application. If applying for a single direction pilot project, it should be submitted by the provincial energy authority or the central enterprise headquarters (except for new generation coal power pilot projects). New generation coal power pilot projects should be submitted uniformly by the provincial energy authority and require a supporting letter from the project's parent company. For comprehensive pilot projects, the provincial energy authorities should organize the local energy authorities at the city level, select multiple pilot directions tailored to the local conditions of each city unit and formulate a comprehensive pilot project plan, and submit it to the National Energy Administration. In the case of comprehensive pilots led by central enterprises, the provincial energy authorities and central enterprises should jointly submit the application at the city level. Provincial energy authorities and central enterprise headquarters should widely solicit pilot projects, evaluate projects of the same category based on the application requirements, feasibility, and technical and economic considerations. Subsequently, they should submit the pilot projects to the National Energy Administration. The construction or renovation start date of the applications should be after August 2024, and relevant approvals, permits, or filings should be obtained if necessary (except for new generation coal power pilot projects). New generation coal power pilot projects should ensure project element assurance. Provincial energy authorities and central enterprises should fill out the application form (see appendix) and submit the stamped hard copy materials to the National Energy Administration (Electricity Department) and simultaneously send electronic materials to sunhe@nea.gov.cn by June 30, 2025. (2) Pilot project review. The National Energy Administration will formulate a pilot project review plan, refine the review standards and procedures, and commission a third-party professional institution with the relevant qualifications to conduct the review. Upon completion of the review, a batch of selected projects and cities will be included in the first phase of the pilot range and announced. Subsequent pilot applications and reviews will be conducted based on the circumstances. For new generation coal power projects under planning, once included in the pilot range, further project approvals and filings should be completed. The relevant materials for the approved pilot projects should be simultaneously submitted to the relevant dispatch institutions of the National Energy Administration. (3) Project implementation. After the pilot project is confirmed, local energy authorities and project units should strictly follow the proposal submitted during the application process for construction or renovation work. Any significant changes to the plan should be approved by the provincial energy authorities or the central enterprise headquarters before applying to the National Energy Administration. At all levels, energy authorities and central enterprises should closely monitor project implementation, coordinate and resolve related issues, ensure smooth project progress, and timely report interim progress to the National Energy Administration. The dispatch institutions of the National Energy Administration should strengthen tracking supervision and services for the pilots based on their responsibilities to promote the implementation of pilot projects. (4) Support policies. Provincial energy authorities, dispatch institutions of the National Energy Administration, and central enterprises should actively carry out institutional and mechanism reforms to address policy obstacles, create a policy environment conducive to pilot project implementation, and utilize funding channels such as ultra-long-term special national bonds to support pilot projects that meet the direction and policy requirements. The achievements of pilot projects will be included in the evaluation system for the construction of a new type of power system, serving as an important aspect of evaluating the effectiveness of the construction of a new type of power system. The required coal-fired power scale for new generation coal power pilot projects will be prioritized within the national coal power planning and construction scale set by the national energy administration. Support will be provided for the cooperative operation of existing coal-fired power units, newly built units, and new generation coal power pilot units with new energy projects, with a priority given to grid connection of new energy projects under cooperation. (5) Evaluation and promotion. The National Energy Administration will timely organize a comprehensive evaluation of the pilot projects, summarize and promote advanced technologies, mature models, and supporting policy mechanisms, and leverage the leading role of pilot projects. For pilot projects with inadequate progress, the pilot status may be revoked. This article was selected from the official website of the National Energy Administration. GMTEight Editor: Jiang Yuanhua.