China Leads The World in New Energy Installed Capacity And Is Transitioning From A Supplementary To A Primary Energy Source

On the same day, the Academic Development Lecture Series of the National Science and Technology Communication Center hosted a special session on grid-connected operation and control technologies for new energy power generation. Wang Weisheng, Chief Engineer of the China Electric Power Research Institute and Director of the National Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy Grid Integration, noted in his speech that China’s installed capacity of new energy now ranks first in the world, and the country is rapidly transitioning from new energy serving as a supplementary energy source to becoming the primary energy source.

　　During the keynote speech, Wang Weisheng provided a systematic overview of the current state of China’s new energy development, its resource endowment, and industrial strengths. He also conducted an in-depth analysis of the two core challenges—reliable power supply and stable operation—posed by the grid integration of high proportions of new energy, and systematically elaborated on the two core technical pathways of new energy power forecasting and grid-connection control optimization, comprehensively showcasing China’s major technological breakthroughs in areas such as renewable power forecasting, fault ride-through, wideband oscillation suppression, and active grid support, and offering an assessment of the future direction for building a new-generation power system.

　　Wang Weisheng emphasized that the grid integration and control of renewable energy are critical components of the energy transition. It is necessary to reduce resource uncertainty through precise forecasting and to achieve a shift from “passive adaptation” to “active support” through advanced control, ultimately realizing the efficient integration of renewable energy and the safe and stable operation of the power grid.

During the panel discussion, Wang Weisheng joined Liu Yutian, professor at Shandong University and founding director of the Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Intelligent Dispatching and Control of Power Grids; Pei Zheyi, former deputy chief engineer of the Dispatching and Control Center at State Grid Corporation of China; and Xu Honghua, researcher and director of the Department of Renewable Energy Integrated Systems at the Institute of Electrical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, for an in-depth discussion and academic exchange on key technologies for the grid integration, operation, and control of new energy sources.

　　Focusing on hot topics such as the restructuring of grid stability control systems under high proportions of renewable energy, the role and positioning of energy storage, and responses to extreme weather, these four industry experts clearly stated that the energy transition must adhere to the principles of system-wide optimization and pilot projects first. They emphasized the need to fully tap into the inherent regulatory potential of renewable energy and coordinate various regulatory resources to ensure a safe and reliable power supply. They also answered questions from the audience on-site regarding grid-forming technologies, gravitational energy storage, the secondary use of retired batteries, and the application of large-scale AI predictive models.

It is reported that the Academic Development Lecture Series of the National Science and Technology Communication Center is an academic program developed by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) that emphasizes cutting-edge research, critical thinking, and public outreach. This session was co-organized by the CAST Science and Technology Communication Center and the Chinese Society for Electrical Engineering.