Guiding Opinions of the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration on the High-quality Development of Distribution Networks under the New Situation

Development and Reform Energy [2024] No. 187

To the Development and Reform Commissions and Energy Bureaus of all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Beijing Municipal Urban Management Committee, all local offices of the National Energy Administration, and relevant power companies:

As an important public infrastructure, the distribution network plays an important role in ensuring power supply, supporting economic and social development, and serving to improve people's livelihood. With the advancement of the construction of new power systems, the distribution network is gradually transforming from a power network that simply accepts and distributes electric energy to users to a power network that integrates source, grid, load and storage and is flexibly coupled with the upper-level power grid. Its functions in promoting the local consumption of distributed power sources and carrying new loads are becoming increasingly significant. In order to promote the high-quality development of the distribution network under the new situation and help build a new power system that is clean, low-carbon, safe, abundant, economical and efficient, coordinated in supply and demand, flexible and intelligent, the following opinions are put forward.

I. General requirements

1. Guiding ideology

Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, we will fully implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, thoroughly implement the new energy security strategy of "four revolutions and one cooperation", focus on the goals of power supply and transformation under the new situation, orderly expand distribution network investment, improve investment efficiency, coordinate the construction and transformation of distribution networks, systematically promote the scientific integrated development of distribution networks and sources, loads and storage, comprehensively enhance the power supply guarantee capability and comprehensive carrying capacity of urban and rural distribution networks, use high-quality development of distribution networks to assist the construction of new energy systems and new power systems, serve economic and social development, promote the realization of the "dual carbon" goal, and accelerate China's modernization process.

2. Basic principles

Adhere to safe power supply and enhance security capabilities. Make ensuring safe and reliable power supply a top priority, appropriately plan and build distribution networks ahead of time, continuously optimize the grid structure, maintain a reasonable power supply margin, and narrow the gap in urban and rural power supply. Appropriately raise defense standards, coordinate to improve the emergency protection level of important users, and lay a solid foundation for intrinsic safety.

Adhere to green development and help low-carbon transformation. Accelerate the construction, transformation and intelligent upgrading of distribution networks, and strengthen the coordinated development of sources, grids, loads and storage. Effectively meet the needs of distributed new energy development, fully support the construction of electric vehicle charging infrastructure system, actively promote the diversified development of new energy storage, and comprehensively promote the green and low-carbon transformation of energy.

Adhere to overall coordination and strengthen planning guidance. Firmly establish systematic thinking, strengthen the connection and interaction between distribution network planning and national development strategies, urban and rural development plans, and industrial development plans in the process of formulation and implementation. Deepen multi-departmental linkage and collaboration to achieve scientific and orderly allocation of source, grid, load and storage resources.

Adhere to scientific management and promote quality improvement and efficiency increase. Establish and improve the scientific development mechanism of the distribution network and strengthen the whole process management. Innovate the operation and management model of the distribution network, improve the level of standardization, promote the research and development and application of advanced science and technology, deepen the reform of the power system and mechanism, and further improve the quality and efficiency of the distribution network.

(III) Development goals

Focusing on the overall goal of building a new energy system and a new power system, we will create a new distribution system that is safe, efficient, clean, low-carbon, flexible, and intelligent. On the basis of enhancing the supply guarantee capability, we will promote the transformation of the distribution network in form from the traditional "passive" one-way radiation network to an "active" two-way interactive system, and in function from a single power supply and distribution service entity to an efficient configuration platform for source, grid, load and storage resources.

By 2025, the distribution network structure will be stronger and clearer, and the power supply and distribution capacity will be reasonably sufficient; the distribution network's carrying capacity and flexibility will be significantly improved, with the ability to access about 500 million kilowatts of distributed new energy and about 12 million charging piles; the active distribution network will be compatible with the large power grid, the digital transformation of the distribution network will be comprehensively promoted, and an open and shared system will be gradually formed to support diversified innovative development; the intelligent regulation and operation system will be upgraded at a faster pace, and new technologies such as vehicle-grid coordinated interaction and grid-based new energy and grid-based energy storage will be promoted in areas with the conditions.

By 2030, the flexible, intelligent and digital transformation of the distribution network will be basically completed, and multi-level coordination of main and distribution microgrids, aggregation and interaction of massive resources, and plug-and-play for diversified users will be achieved. The integrated development of distributed smart grids and large power grids will be effectively promoted, and the development needs of distributed power sources, new energy storage and various new business formats will be better met. Strong support will be provided for the construction of a high-quality charging infrastructure system with wide coverage, moderate scale, reasonable structure and complete functions, and non-fossil energy consumption targets will be promoted with high-level electrification.

2. Make up for the shortcomings of the power grid and consolidate the foundation for supply guarantee

(I) Comprehensively improve the power supply guarantee capability. Moderately plan the distribution of power transformers and distribution points in advance, optimize the layout of power grid facilities, and build a strong and flexible power grid. Accelerate the upgrading and transformation of power distribution facilities in old urban areas and villages in the city, strictly implement the requirements of "one meter per household" for urban residents, new charging infrastructure in residential areas, flood control and waterlogging prevention, and orderly promote the transformation of dual power sources for primary loads in high-rise residential areas. Accelerate the consolidation and improvement of rural power grids, improve the grid structure of rural power grids, strengthen the connection between county power grids and the main grid, steadily promote the extension and coverage of large power grids, build renewable energy local area networks according to local conditions, and continue to increase the construction of rural power grids in remote areas, poverty-stricken areas, and old revolutionary areas. Scientifically strengthen weak links, systematically sort out and form a list of county distribution networks with a single power supply direction, and carry out targeted power supply reliability improvement transformation. Regularly monitor and investigate problems such as heavy full load of main (distribution) transformers, heavy overload of lines, and voltage over-limit, propose targeted solutions, and eliminate power supply bottlenecks. In areas with conditions, combined with technical and economic comparisons, carry out the application of new technologies such as AC/DC hybrid distribution networks and flexible interconnection, and explore the use of high-reliability wiring methods for distribution networks.

(II) Improve the energy efficiency and intelligence level of equipment. Accelerate the renovation of old and high-energy-consuming equipment and facilities. After the renovation, they must reach the energy efficiency and energy-saving level, and strive to reach the advanced energy efficiency level. In 2025, power grid companies will completely eliminate S7 (including S8) type and distribution transformers with an operating life of more than 25 years and whose energy efficiency does not meet the access level. The proportion of transformers in operation with energy efficiency and energy saving level and above in the whole society will increase by more than 10 percentage points compared with 2021. Continue to promote the construction of equipment standardization, fully apply typical designs and standard materials, and actively promote high-reliability, integrated, low-energy consumption, environmentally friendly, and primary and secondary integrated equipment. Further expand the application scope of network communication, big data, automatic control and other technologies, continuously improve the effective coverage rate of distribution automation, and gradually improve load control capabilities. Reasonably configure monitoring terminals, unmanned inspection terminals, live working robots and other facilities and equipment, and accelerate the application of technologies such as intelligent monitoring and analysis of equipment status and intelligent perception of power grid disasters. Innovatively apply digital technology to strengthen the coordinated regulation of source, grid, load and storage at the distribution network level. Explore the value of power data and promote the deep integration of power grid digital technology with the real economy. Establish and improve data security management systems and take corresponding technical measures to ensure data security.