Provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Development and Reform Commission, Energy Bureau, Beijing Municipal Urban Management Commission, various dispatched agencies of the National Energy Administration, and relevant power enterprises:

As an important public infrastructure, the distribution network plays a crucial role in ensuring power supply, supporting economic and social development, and improving people's livelihoods. With the advancement of the construction of new power systems, the distribution network is gradually transforming from a power network that simply receives and distributes electricity to users to a power network that integrates source grid load storage interaction and flexibly couples with the higher-level power grid. Its functions in promoting the nearby 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 to help build a new type of power system that is clean, low-carbon, safe, abundant, economically efficient, supply-demand coordinated, flexible and intelligent, the following opinions are proposed.

1、 Overall requirements

（1） Guiding ideology

（2） Basic principles

Adhere to safe power supply and enhance security capabilities. Making ensuring the safe and reliable supply of electricity the top priority, planning and constructing the distribution network moderately ahead of schedule, continuously optimizing the grid structure, maintaining a reasonable power supply margin, and narrowing the urban-rural power supply gap. Properly raise the defense standards, collaborate to enhance the emergency support level for important users, and consolidate the foundation of intrinsic safety.

Adhere to green development and assist in low-carbon transformation. Accelerate the construction, renovation, and intelligent upgrading of the distribution network, and strengthen the coordinated development of source network load 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 coordination, strengthen planning guidance. Firmly establish systematic thinking, strengthen the connection and interaction between distribution network planning and national development strategies, urban-rural development plans, and industrial development plans in the process of formulation and implementation. Deepen interdepartmental collaboration and achieve scientific and orderly allocation of source, network, load, and storage resources.

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

（3） Development Goals

Focusing on the overall goal of building a new energy system and a new power system, we aim to create a safe, efficient, clean, low-carbon, flexible, and intelligent integrated new distribution system. On the basis of enhancing supply guarantee capabilities, we will promote the transformation of the distribution network from a traditional "passive" one-way radiation network to an "active" two-way interactive system, and from a single power supply and distribution service subject to an efficient allocation platform for source network load and storage resources in terms of functionality.

By 2025, the distribution network structure will become stronger and clearer, with reasonable and sufficient power supply and distribution capacity; The carrying capacity and flexibility of the distribution network have been significantly improved, with a capacity of about 500 million kilowatts of distributed new energy and about 12 million charging piles connected; The active distribution network and the large power grid are integrated, the digital transformation of the distribution network is comprehensively promoted, and an open sharing system is gradually formed to support diversified innovative development; Accelerate the upgrading of the intelligent regulation and operation system, and promote new technologies such as vehicle network coordination and interaction, network building new energy, and network building energy storage in areas where conditions permit.

By 2030, the flexible, intelligent, and digital transformation of the distribution network will be basically completed, achieving multi-level collaboration between the main and distribution microgrids, massive resource aggregation and interaction, and plug and play for multiple users. This will effectively promote the integration and development of distributed smart grids and large grids, better meet the development needs of distributed power sources, new energy storage, and various new formats, and provide strong support for the construction of a high-quality charging infrastructure system with wide coverage, moderate scale, reasonable structure, and complete functions. High level electrification will promote the achievement of non fossil energy consumption goals.

2、 Fill in the gaps in the power grid and strengthen the foundation for ensuring supply

（1） Comprehensively enhance the power supply guarantee capability. Moderately advance planning of transformer and distribution points, optimizing the layout of power grid facilities, and creating a strong and flexible power grid structure. Accelerate the upgrading and transformation of power distribution facilities in old urban communities and urban villages, strictly implement the requirements of "one household, one meter" for urban residents' electricity consumption, new residential area charging infrastructure, flood prevention and control, etc., and orderly promote the transformation of dual power sources for primary loads in high-rise residential areas. Accelerate the consolidation and upgrading project of rural power grids, improve the grid structure of rural power grids, strengthen the connection between county-level power grids and main grids, steadily promote the extension and coverage of large power grids, construct 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 revolutionary old areas. Scientifically strengthen weak links, systematically organize and form a list of county-level distribution networks with a single power supply direction, and carry out targeted power supply reliability improvement and transformation. Regularly monitor and investigate issues such as heavy and full load of main (distribution) transformers, heavy overload of power lines, and voltage exceeding limits, and propose targeted solutions to eliminate power supply checkpoints. In areas where conditions permit, combined with technological and economic comparisons, new technologies such as AC/DC hybrid distribution networks and flexible interconnection should be applied to explore the adoption of high reliability wiring methods for distribution networks.

（2） Improve equipment energy efficiency and intelligence level. Accelerate the renovation of old and high energy consuming equipment and facilities, and strive to achieve energy efficiency and energy-saving levels after renovation, and strive to reach advanced energy efficiency levels. By 2025, power grid enterprises will completely eliminate S7 (including S8) type and distribution transformers that have been in operation for more than 25 years and do not meet the admission level of energy efficiency. The proportion of transformers in operation with energy efficiency and energy-saving level or above in the whole society will increase by more than 10 percentage points compared to 2021. Continuously promote equipment standardization construction, fully apply typical designs and standard materials, actively promote high reliability, integration, low energy consumption, environmental protection, and primary secondary integration equipment. Further expand the application scope of technologies such as network communication, big data, and automatic control, continuously improve the effective coverage of distribution automation, and gradually enhance load control capabilities. Reasonably configure monitoring terminals, unmanned inspection terminals, live working robots and other facilities and equipment, accelerate the application of technologies such as intelligent monitoring and analysis of equipment status and intelligent perception of power grid disasters. Innovatively applying digital technology to strengthen the coordinated regulation of source network load storage at the distribution network level. Explore the value of electricity data and promote the deep integration of digital technology in the power grid with the real economy. Establish a sound data security management system and take corresponding technical measures to ensure data security.

（3） Strengthen the construction of emergency support capabilities. Reasonably improve the construction standards of relevant lines and substations in core areas and important users, promote the construction of local emergency power supply, coordinate the use of mobile emergency power supply, and important users should configure their own emergency power supply according to requirements to enhance the power supply guarantee capability of key areas, key departments, and important users in extreme situations. Enhance the comprehensive disaster prevention capability of the power grid, strengthen the research on the meteorological changes of rain, snow, and freezing, accelerate the revision and improvement of the regional distribution map of typhoon, freezing rain, icing, and strong wind dancing disasters, differentiate and improve local planning and design and disaster prevention and control standards, enhance the ability to prevent and respond to natural disasters, promote the relocation of existing underground distribution facilities that do not meet the requirements to the ground or implement flood prevention and renovation, and prevent forest and grassland fires and personal electric shock accidents.

3、 Enhance carrying capacity and support transformational development

（1） Meet the demand for large-scale distributed new energy grid connection. In line with the development goals of distributed new energy, we will strengthen the construction of the distribution network in a targeted manner, improve the stable operation methods of the power grid, and ensure the quality of electricity. Coordinate the capacity, load growth, and resource regulation of the distribution network, conduct a systematic analysis of the impact of new energy grid connection, evaluate the carrying capacity of the distribution network, establish a release and warning mechanism for the scale of new energy that can be carried, and guide the scientific layout, orderly development, nearby access, and local consumption of distributed new energy.

（2） Meet the electricity demand of new loads such as large-scale electric vehicles. Conduct analysis on the charging load density of electric vehicles in different scenarios, establish an information release mechanism for the capacity of electric vehicle charging facilities that can be connected to the distribution network, and guide charging facilities to connect to the medium and low voltage distribution network in a reasonable hierarchical manner. Strengthen two-way interaction and condition matching analysis, scientifically connect the layout of charging facilities and the construction and renovation of distribution networks, and help build an electric vehicle charging infrastructure network with urban surface, highway line, and rural point layout. Based on load characteristic analysis, orderly arrange the upgrading and renovation of the distribution network to meet the electricity demand of alternative facilities such as electric heating, electric boilers, and port shore power.

（3） Promote the diversified development of new energy storage. Based on the analysis of power system regulation capability, scientifically arrange the development scale of new energy storage according to different application scenarios. Guide distributed new energy to reasonably allocate new energy storage according to their own operational needs or configure new energy storage through sharing mode, enhance the reliable substitution capability of new energy, and promote the consumption of new energy. Scientifically layout new energy storage at key nodes and end points of the power grid, improve the flexible regulation capability and stable operation level of the power grid. Support the safe development of user side energy storage, strengthen metering management, achieve full utilization, explore new scenarios for energy storage integration applications around distributed new energy, charging facilities, big data centers and other end users, and support participation in grid interaction. Promote the application of long-term electric energy storage, hydrogen energy storage, and thermal (cold) energy storage technologies.

（4） Promote the healthy development of new business models in the power system. Based on the access method and consumption characteristics of distributed new energy, build a distributed smart grid that meets the requirements of large-scale development and on-site consumption of distributed new energy, and achieve compatible coexistence and integrated development with the large power grid. Promote the construction of microgrids, clarify physical boundaries, reasonably allocate source load storage capacity, and strengthen independent peak shaving and self balancing capabilities. Explore the potential of user side regulation, encourage innovative development of new formats such as virtual power plants, load aggregators, and vehicle network interaction, and improve system response speed and regulation capabilities. The large-scale power grid should create convenient conditions for the integration of distributed smart grids and microgrids into the public power grid, simplify the connection procedures, clarify the interfaces of assets, management, and other aspects, as well as the rights and obligations of dispatch control, interactive operation, and resource utilization regulation.

4、 Strengthen full process management to ensure the quality of development

（1） Coordinate the formulation of power grid planning. The local energy regulatory authorities should strengthen the management of the distribution network planning process, organize power grid enterprises to prepare plans and supervise their implementation. The planning of the distribution network should comprehensively implement the requirements of national strategic tasks such as regional coordinated development, new urbanization, and rural revitalization, and do a good job in linking with the development plans of industries such as new energy, electric vehicles, and energy storage, and strengthening the connection with the overall urban and rural planning and national spatial planning. Support the unified planning and construction of municipal utility tunnels for public infrastructure such as water, electricity, and gas. Fully consider the stage and characteristics of local socio-economic development, adhere to differentiated planning of distribution networks, and improve efficiency and benefits.

（2） Optimize project investment management. Power grid enterprises should focus on the main business of the power grid and continue to increase investment in the distribution network. Encourage diversified entities to invest in the distribution network and innovate investment methods. The investment in the connection project of new energy stations and energy storage power stations directly connected to the distribution network shall be borne by the power grid enterprise in principle. For the connection projects that are difficult for the power grid enterprise to construct or have mismatched planning and construction time, the relevant parties may independently invest and construct them, and after mutual consultation and agreement, the power grid enterprise shall repurchase them in accordance with laws and regulations at an appropriate time. Solidly carry out quota management and cost calculation of distribution network engineering, promote standardized and modular engineering, reduce investment costs, optimize investment structure, and improve investment efficiency. Improve the efficiency of approval or filing for distribution network projects, especially those with 10 kV and below.

（3） Collaborative promotion of engineering construction. Establish a multi departmental coordination mechanism, consolidate responsibilities at all levels, strengthen grassroots coordination efforts, efficiently promote project site selection, land use procedures approval and other work, solve major projects and key areas' supporting power grid construction and renovation problems, and promote the rapid implementation of projects. Collaborate with municipal construction projects such as urban roads, bridges, and comprehensive pipe galleries to carry out the upgrading and renovation of overhead lines and underground distribution networks. Strengthen the management of construction teams and construction processes, carry out full process supervision and management of engineering construction, ensure the safety of engineering construction, and improve the quality of engineering construction.

（4） Improve the scheduling and operation mechanism. Adhere to unified scheduling and hierarchical management, strictly enforce scheduling discipline, and ensure the safe operation of the power grid. Strengthen the intelligent construction of distribution network scheduling and the construction of information security protection systems, comprehensively enhance the observability, measurability, adjustability and controllability, and gradually build a new active distribution network scheduling mode for main distribution microgrid collaboration. Establish a collaborative regulation mechanism for source network load storage, continuously improve the new energy power regulation mechanism, optimize the protection and control strategies in areas with high penetration rates of distributed new energy, establish and improve a new energy storage regulation system and call mechanism, support various user side regulation resources to participate in the market through virtual power plants, load aggregation, and other methods, and improve the distribution network regulation ability, resource allocation ability, and self-healing ability. Improve real-time perception and fault handling capabilities, strengthen hierarchical control, and enhance distributed power management capabilities.

（5） Improve the level of operation and maintenance services. Strengthen equipment inspection and maintenance, promptly eliminate equipment defects and hidden dangers. Carry out lean operation and maintenance, optimize power outage planning, strengthen the management of rapid repair of faults, promote proactive repair technology for distribution network faults and the "restore power first, repair later" mode, and reduce power outage time, frequency, and impact range. Electricity users should strengthen the operation and maintenance of their own facilities, timely eliminate hidden dangers, prevent accidents, and avoid affecting the public power grid. Revise and improve the grid connection standards, strengthen the foundation for safe and stable operation of the distribution network. Simplify the network connection process, accelerate the construction and commissioning acceptance of network connection projects, and improve service efficiency. Support the development of comprehensive energy services based on the distribution network.

5、 Strengthen reform and innovation, solve development problems

（1） Continuously promote technological innovation. Strengthen the research on planning methods, operating mechanisms, balancing methods for active distribution networks, as well as dispatch and operation control methods for new models such as microgrids and virtual power plants, improve relevant standards, and actively engage in international cooperation. Explore the optimization layout and efficient utilization of new energy storage, conduct research on efficient carrying technology of charging facilities, and promote flexible access of new entities. Support regions with conditions to carry out pilot projects in the innovation of distribution network technology and models.

（2） Establish a sound market trading mechanism. Clarify the market access, clearance, and settlement standards for new entities and formats such as distributed new energy, new energy storage, electric vehicle charging facilities, microgrids, and virtual power plants, study and design suitable trading varieties and rules, and encourage diversified resources to participate in market transactions on an equal footing. Establish a multi time scale and multi-level electricity market to meet diversified demands. Innovate and expand new business models and trading mechanisms for power systems, creating conditions for direct transactions between industrial and commercial power users and distributed power sources, new energy storage and other entities.

（3） Continuously optimize the electricity pricing mechanism. Further improve the time of use electricity pricing mechanism and establish a sound time of use electricity pricing mechanism for electric vehicle residential charging stations; The electricity spot market continues to operate in regions, promoting dynamic adjustment of peak and valley time periods based on spot price signals, and improving user electricity consumption characteristics. Study and improve the pricing mechanism for energy storage. On the basis of evaluating the market-oriented trading pilot of distributed power generation, research and improve the transmission and distribution pricing mechanism that better promotes the nearby consumption of new energy.

（4） Improve fiscal and financial policies. Give full play to the guiding and driving role of central investment, and deeply promote the consolidation and upgrading of rural power grids. Support the construction of eligible distribution network projects through local government special bonds. Establish and improve the investment and operation cost guidance mechanism for universal power services in remote areas, encourage local governments to adopt policies such as financial subsidies and tax exemptions, and guide more resources to be allocated to weak links and key areas. Encourage financial institutions to improve their financial service capabilities and support the construction of distributed new energy, charging infrastructure, and new energy storage.

6、 Strengthen organizational support and coordinate the promotion of work

（1） Establish a sound working mechanism. Establish a working mechanism for local energy regulatory departments, price, housing, land and other relevant regulatory departments, energy regulatory agencies, various power enterprises, new business project units, and important power users to collaborate and develop implementation plans tailored to local conditions, and fully implement the requirements for high-quality development of the distribution grid.

（2） Consolidate the work responsibilities of all parties involved. Local energy regulatory authorities should organize the preparation of distribution network plans, optimize project approval processes, strengthen the construction, renovation, and operation management of distribution networks, improve investment efficiency, and control grid costs; Proactively connect with relevant departments and grassroots governments, coordinate station site and corridor resources, and ensure the smooth implementation of the project. Electric power enterprises and relevant new business project units are the main implementers of the construction and operation of the distribution network. They should actively enhance their service awareness, continuously improve service quality, do a good job in project management, construction, operation and maintenance, and grid connection services, and implement their safety responsibilities. The National Energy Administration dispatched agencies to strengthen supervision according to their respective responsibilities, promptly identify problems, and promote solutions.

（3） Continuously conduct regulatory evaluations. Local energy regulatory departments and agencies dispatched by the National Energy Administration shall strengthen the tracking, analysis, supervision and management of the development of the distribution network in accordance with their responsibilities, timely evaluate the effectiveness, summarize and improve. The National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration timely organize evaluations and summaries to promote typical practices and successful experiences that have achieved significant results in key tasks such as the transformation of urban village distribution networks, consolidation and improvement of rural power grids, distributed new energy grid operation, interactive connection of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and coordinated operation and control of source grid load storage.

National Development and Reform Commission

National Energy Administration

February 6, 2024