A new Views & Comments article published in Engineering outlines the transformation pathways, typical scenarios, and key technical requirements of China’s power grid toward 2030, a benchmark year for the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions. The study, from researchers at the China Electric Power Research Institute of State Grid Corporation of China, adopts a scenario-driven approach to map out changes in generation, grid structure, and consumption, and to identify innovation priorities for the new power system during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

The article notes that rapid growth in wind and solar capacity will reshape stability mechanisms and balancing characteristics, while the traditional technology-driven innovation model faces path dependence. Three macro trends define the transition: a clean and low-carbon power supply, profound changes in grid morphology, and restructured end-use electricity consumption. New energy is set to evolve from a supplementary source toward a major portion of installed capacity and generation. Coal-fired units will gradually shift from baseload sources to flexible regulating resources while continuing to support inertia and voltage stability. Cross-regional transmission capacity will expand, with the number of ultra-high-voltage direct current (UHVDC) lines projected to rise notably, and distribution networks will evolve from passive delivery systems to active resource allocation platforms amid growing penetration of distributed photovoltaic (PV), energy storage, and electric vehicle facilities. Total electricity consumption is expected to grow steadily, with load characteristics becoming more uncertain and seasonal peaks more pronounced due to heating and cooling demand and extreme weather events.

To translate these trends into actionable technical guidance, the study defines five typical grid scenarios for 2030: large-scale wind–solar base transmission in sandy, rocky, and desert areas; large-scale deep-sea offshore wind power transmission; large-scale hydropower base transmission in Southwest China; cross‑regional UHVDC power infeed into load centers; and high‑proportioned distributed new energy utilization. These scenarios reflect centralized renewable delivery, large-capacity DC infeed, and distributed integration challenges across different regions.

Corresponding technical challenges span reliable power supply, grid security and stability, and equipment performance. Intermittent renewable output complicates real-time energy balancing. Weak grids, dense DC feeds, and reduced synchronous inertia raise risks of voltage and frequency instability. Complex environments such as deep seas and high-seismic zones demand higher reliability and durability in equipment design and maintenance.

In response, the study highlights three critical technical directions. For reliable power supply, research should focus on probabilistic power balance mechanisms, flexible resource assessment, optimal dispatch of conventional units, and high-accuracy renewable forecasting under extreme weather. For grid security and stability, efforts are needed in stability mechanisms of power-electronic-dominated systems, advanced modeling and simulation, coordinated control, fault defense, and grid-forming technologies for renewable plants. For equipment performance, improvements should target reliability, condition monitoring, and adaptive materials for transmission and distribution assets in harsh environments.

The authors conclude with policy suggestions, including top-level scenario-oriented technology planning, system-level breakthroughs in core technologies, strengthened fundamental and interdisciplinary research, and deeper integration of digital and intelligent tools. The framework aims to support secure, efficient, and low‑carbon development of China’s power system as it moves toward 2030 climate and energy goals.

The paper “Typical Scenarios and Technical Requirements of China’s Power Grid Towards 2030 for Power System Transformation,” is authored by Qiang Zhao, Yuqiong Zhang, Ziwei Chen, Xiaoxin Zhou, Jiameng Gao, Honghua Yang. Full text of the open access paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2025.10.007. For more information about Engineering, visit the website at https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/engineering.