Four departments: moderately advance the construction of the power grid and timely upgrade and renovate it, and build photovoltaic power generation and energy storage facilities according to local conditions.

Recently, the General Office of the National Development and Reform Commission and four other departments issued the "Notice on Promoting the Scientific Planning and Construction of High-Power Charging Facilities". It was proposed that grid enterprises should actively conduct research on the impact of high-power charging load characteristics on regional distribution systems, and assess the grid's access capacity to high-power charging facilities in a layered and graded manner. Promote the integration and connection of the layout planning of high-power charging facilities with distribution network planning, and moderately advance the construction of the grid and timely upgrade. The original text is as follows: Notice from the General Office of the National Development and Reform Commission and Other Departments on Promoting the Scientific Planning and Construction of High-power Charging Facilities Energy [2025] No. 632 Departments of development and reform commissions, energy bureaus, industrial and information technology departments, transportation departments in provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government, and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, urban management committees in Beijing, Housing and Urban-Rural Construction Department of Henan Province, State Grid Corporation of China, China Southern Power Grid Co., Ltd., Inner Mongolia Electric Power (Group) Co., Ltd., CHINA POWER Enterprise Association, relevant charging operation enterprises: Electric vehicle charging infrastructure is an important infrastructure supporting the development of new energy vehicle industry and the construction of new power system, promoting the green and low-carbon transformation in the transportation energy field. As the industry iterates and upgrades, high-power charging facilities with a single-gun charging power of over 250 kilowatts are becoming more popular. In order to implement the guidance on further building a high-quality charging infrastructure system issued by the State Council office (State Office Letter [2023] No. 19), further optimize and improve the layout of the charging facility network in China, steadily build a high-quality charging infrastructure system with a reasonable layout, upgraded quality, and advanced technology. The relevant issues are now notified as follows. 1. Strengthen the overall planning of high-power charging facilities Taking into account the local economic development level, the promotion of new energy vehicles, and the distribution of electricity resources, focus on on-demand charging scenarios, and develop the layout of high-power charging facilities according to local conditions, moderately advanced, and scientifically reasonable. The department at the provincial level responsible for the development of charging facilities should work with other relevant departments to reasonably determine the development goals and construction tasks of high-power charging facilities in the charging network planning, and timely formulate special plans for high-power charging facilities as needed. Collaborate with the transportation department and other relevant departments to prioritize the planning of charging facilities at highway service areas, and take the lead in the high-power renovation of charging facilities with a usage rate exceeding 40% during major holidays. The planning should follow market rules, conduct good forecasting and demonstration, and coordinate with land spatial planning, distribution network planning, and transportation planning to achieve the synergistic development of high-power charging networks and existing charging facilities of various types. By the end of 2027, strive to have over 100,000 high-power charging facilities nationwide, with upgraded service quality and technology applications. 2. Guide the orderly construction of high-power charging facilities Project construction units should handle project filing procedures in accordance with the Regulations on the Administration of Enterprise Investment Projects and other laws. The department responsible for the development of charging facilities in each region should strengthen the supervision of high-power charging facility projects in collaboration with the investment authorities to avoid waste of resources and disorderly investment. Play a guiding role in supporting the intensive use of resources, supporting high-quality operators with good investment capabilities and operating experience in station construction, renovation, and operation. Actively plan for dedicated high-power charging facilities for public transportation, logistics, and medium- to heavy-duty transport. High-power charging facilities built by new energy vehicle companies should, in principle, be open to all. Promote the integration of charging stations with catering, entertainment, shopping, and car services based on station conditions to enhance the charging service experience. 3. Strengthen the operation and management of high-power charging facilities Charging operation enterprises should continuously strengthen the supply of high safety, high quality, and high-efficiency charging products and services, optimize on-site environments at stations, improve operational signage, and price transparency, and appropriately allocate maintenance service personnel. Charging operation enterprises should accelerate the construction of smart operation and maintenance platforms to record fault data during high-power charging, enhance the monitoring and fault handling capabilities of charging facilities, and strive to maintain equipment availability rates above 98%. High-power charging facilities should be fully connected to government monitoring service platforms. The department responsible for the development of charging facilities in each region should conduct routine evaluations of charging services and quality, encourage companies to create high-quality and distinctive high-power charging brands, and set benchmarks for high-quality service image. 4. Strengthen the safety management of high-power charging facilities The department responsible for the development of charging facilities should strictly implement the work requirement of "safety must be managed in the industry, business must be managed safely, and production and operation must be managed safely". They should attach great importance to the safety management of high-power charging facilities and supervise public charging stations, including design, construction, and supervision units, in implementing their safety responsibilities. Charging construction and operation companies should strictly follow national standards for siting, design, construction, and arrangement of fire protection facilities at high-power charging stations. Charging operation enterprises should strengthen equipment procurement management, verify the qualification certificates and mandatory product certification (CCC certification) of charging piles and supporting equipment to ensure compliance with quality requirements. 5. Promote the integrated development of high-power charging facilities and the grid Grid enterprises should actively research the influence of high-power charging load characteristics on regional distribution systems, and evaluate the grid's access capacity to high-power charging facilities in a layered and graded manner. Promote the integration and coordination of high-power charging facility layout planning with distribution network planning, advance the construction of the grid moderately and timely upgrade. Encourage the establishment of smart and orderly high-power charging stations, establish efficient interaction mechanisms between high-power charging stations and distribution networks, and integrate photovoltaic power generation and energy storage facilities as needed. Explore optimized methods for determining power access capacities for smart and orderly high-power charging stations, make reasonable use of the low-peak capacity margins of distribution facilities, and enhance the grid's access capacities for high-power charging stations. Support charging operation enterprises to participate in the electricity market transactions and demand responses through accessing new load management systems, and promote high levels of clean energy consumption for electric vehicles through price signals. 6. Improve the high-power charging technology standard system Relevant research institutions, industry associations, etc., should continuously promote the construction of the high-power charging technology standard system, accelerate the revision of key technical standards including device types, metrology testing, communication protocols, station construction, operation management, safety protection, digitization, and intelligence to promote industrial development through standard improvements. Adhering to the principle of respecting the market and looking towards the future, promote the inclusion of national standards for high-power charging in the vehicle and charging market access conditions, conduct testing and comparative verification of the vehicle-to-pile matching based on the national standards for high-power charging, considering market acceptance, product compatibility, technical advancement, and operational safety, and promote the application of high-power charging standards in high-voltage platform passenger car models and heavy-duty commercial vehicle models. Strengthen international standardization work for high-power charging, promote the coordinated development of domestic and international charging standards. 7. Promote innovation and application of high-power charging technology Charging operation enterprises should enhance the technological upgrading of charging equipment, improve the operating efficiency and service life of high-power charging facilities. Encourage the use of high-power charging priority power distribution strategies for split-type equipment. Accelerate the domestic substitution of core devices such as high-voltage silicon carbide modules and main control chips, promote the overall upgrading of the charging industry chain covering components, system integration, and operation services. Conduct research and pilot application of megawatt-level single-gun charging technology for high-capacity and high-rate power battery applications such as electric heavy-duty trucks, electric ships, and electric aircraft. Apply electric power intelligent management, drone patrol, charging safety early warning, smart fire protection technologies to strengthen the intelligent safety management of high-power charging stations, and enhance the smart operation and maintenance levels of charging facilities. 8. Strengthen support and guarantee for high-power charging facilities The department responsible for the development of charging facilities in each region should, in collaboration with relevant departments, further strengthen the guarantee of elements for the development of high-power charging facilities, and increase the supply of supporting policies in land, power supply, finance, and finance. Encourage providing leases for charging stations with a term of over 10 years, and guide companies to operate stably in the long term. Grid enterprises should strengthen the power supply guarantee for high-power charging facilities, focus on solving the power capacity of highway service areas, reduce the cost of power introduction, and shorten the power expansion cycle. Encourage the study of subsidies and incentive mechanisms for the construction and operation of high-power charging facilities, and support the construction of qualifying high-power charging facility projects through local government special bonds, etc. 9. Strengthen organizational coordination and work supervision The department responsible for the development of charging facilities in each region should strengthen overall coordination, actively work with energy, transportation, industrial and information technology, natural resources, housing urban-rural construction, market supervision, emergency management departments, etc., to jointly carry out planning, and refine policy implementation measures. The National Energy Administration will work with the Ministry of Transport and other relevant departments to assess the implementation situation regularly, relying on government charging monitoring service platforms, and develop a batch of demonstrative cities and high-speed corridors with high-power charging applications, promoting the high-quality development of high-power charging facilities. This article is excerpted from the official website of the National Development and Reform Commission; translated by: Chen Xiaoyi.