从"主配微"协同到算电协同：江西一张看不见的网托起看得见的灯火暖与产业旺From 'main, auxiliary, and micro' coordination to electricity-computation coordination: An invisible network in Jiangxi supports visible lights, warmth, and thriving industries

In summer, we turn on the air conditioning; in winter, we use the heater. Charging our phones and running factories all depend on electricity. However, many people don’t realize that electricity comes from afar and has to pass through an invisible network—the power grid. Nowadays, this network is becoming 'smarter.' Recently, the main transformer expansion project at the 1000 kV substation in Nanchang was successfully completed and powered on for testing, marking the completion and commissioning of Jiangxi Province's first key project in the 'Six Grids' of the new power network and the first ultra-high voltage AC substation project in the '15th Five-Year Plan' period. The total investment was 354 million yuan, and it was put into operation one month ahead of schedule.

Hundreds of kilometers away, the Ganjiang–Southern Jiangxi 1000 kV AC transmission and transformation project has been approved, with a dynamic total investment of 7.218 billion yuan, and is planned to be completed and put into operation by 2028. On one end, the ultra-high voltage 'main artery' is accelerating its extension; on the other, virtual power plants and microgrids—the 'capillaries'—are accelerating their deployment. In April this year, the central government made arrangements for the planning and construction of the 'Six Grids.' The investment in China’s new power grid during the '15th Five-Year Plan' period is expected to exceed 5 trillion yuan, with a preliminary completion of the new power grid by 2030. In Jiangxi, an invisible energy foundation is rapidly taking shape along a coordinated 'main-distribution-micro' structure.

Electricity comes from afar, so why does the power grid need to be upgraded? In the past, it mainly relied on thermal power, and the lines were relatively simple; now, with wind power, photovoltaic power, and other renewable energy sources accounting for an increasing proportion, electricity comes from farther away and is also weather-dependent. At the same time, new users such as computing centers and smart factories have extremely high requirements for power quality, and even brief voltage fluctuations can cause losses. The 'new' in the new type of power grid exists on three levels: in terms of structure, forming a new grid architecture with the main power grid and distribution network as the important foundation and smart microgrids as a beneficial supplement; in terms of technology, using new technologies such as artificial intelligence, flexible grid structures, and long-duration energy storage; in terms of services, adapting to new business formats like collaborative computing and direct green power connections.

The expansion project of the main transformer at the Nanchang 1000 kV substation is the latest illustration of this upgrade. The project construction unit adheres to innovation-driven development and, for the first time, applies domestically produced insulating paperboard in the main transformer's field strength area, helping to ensure the autonomy and control of the energy industry chain. The Jiangxi Provincial Energy Bureau explicitly stated in the project approval that the project aims to 'meet the needs of economic and social development and load growth, enhance the power-receiving capacity of the Jiangxi power grid, and strengthen inter-provincial mutual support capacity.' Once operational, the Jiangxi power grid's capacity to receive external electricity will increase by 3 million kilowatts, which is equivalent to increasing the capacity to meet the entire power demand of Ji'an City. The ability to integrate renewable energy will be further improved, making it more confident to accept 'green electricity' from afar.

According to Zuo Yun, Executive Deputy Manager of the Owner Project for the Nanchang 1000 kV Main Transformer Expansion Project at the Construction Branch of State Grid Jiangxi Electric Power Co., Ltd., this project is a key ultra-high-voltage main transformer project during Jiangxi Province's 15th Five-Year Plan period. It will fully leverage the advantages of the Central China UHV AC ring network, enhance the ability to share power flows among the four central provinces, and strengthen inter-provincial power complementarity and Jiangxi power grid's power reception capacity. Tang Guangrui, an expert from the State Grid Energy Research Institute, told reporters that the new type of power grid is essentially a modern grid form that coordinates multiple objectives, such as adapting to rigid growth in power demand, gradually increasing the share of renewable energy supply, and diversifying the development of new power-related business models.

The large power grid is like an aorta, but it may not be able to sense the warmth or cold at the extremities. Nanji Township is an island community in Poyang Lake, and during the flood season, roads can be submerged, leaving the power grid facing the challenge of 'island operation.' In November 2025, the province's first smart microgrid was constructed and put into operation on Nanji Mountain, equipped with a 3 MWh networked energy storage station, rooftop photovoltaics, distributed storage, and vehicle-to-grid interactive charging piles, increasing power supply reliability to 99.99% and building an 'energy fortress' for 1,502 households on the island. In June of this year, the province's first rural scenario wind-solar-storage-charging integrated microgrid was constructed and put into operation in Ningdu County, integrating five major modules: carport photovoltaics, wind power generation, energy storage system, smart charging, and intelligent microgrid control, creating a demonstration platform for a distribution network combining renewable energy, storage, and smart control.

On the side of the large power grid, flexible adjustment is also crucial. On July 31, Jiangxi Comprehensive Energy Virtual Power Plant completed full-category electricity market transactions for the medium- and long-term monthly, D-2, and day-ahead spot markets, becoming the first virtual power plant in the province to connect all trading links of the electricity market. In May this year, the Provincial Energy Bureau announced the first batch of 12 virtual power plant pilot projects. The issued 'Jiangxi Province Work Plan for Promoting the High-Quality Development of Virtual Power Plants' clearly states that by 2027, the province aims to achieve a virtual power plant adjustment capacity of over 1 million kilowatts, and by 2030, to reach an adjustment capacity of over 3 million kilowatts. Liu Chao, Director of the Market Department of the Power Supply Division of State Grid Jiangxi Electric Power, introduced that the next step will be to promote the province's virtual power plants to further explore the adjustment potential of distributed energy storage and other resources, and actively participate in the ancillary frequency regulation market.

The Provincial Development and Reform Commission further proposed in the 'Several Measures for Accelerating the Comprehensive Green Transformation of Economic and Social Development in Jiangxi Province' to 'establish and improve the electricity market trading system of "medium- and long-term, spot, and ancillary services"' and to 'explore models such as nearby trading and self-use of distributed renewable energy.' Zhang Lin, Director of the Planning and Development Department of the China Electricity Council, stated that the key to building a new type of power grid lies in the 'coordination of main, distribution, and micro' levels, with virtual power plants activating the 'capillaries' of the distribution network and microgrids stabilizing the 'peripheral nerves.'

If the 'main, accessory, and micro' coordination solves the problem of 'getting electricity delivered,' then 'computing and electricity coordination' solves the problem of 'using electricity well.' At the Chaoxin Zhisan 'Three South' AI computing power center in Longnan City, Huang Risheng, a client manager from Ganzhou Power Supply Company, analyzed energy consumption data together with the operations and maintenance team, recommending centralized scheduling of low-load tasks and coordinated optimization of air conditioning. Three days later, the plan was implemented, and the computing center's energy consumption was further reduced. Relying on the power company's energy efficiency services, the computing center also reached a green power transaction intention with the local photovoltaic power station, raising the proportion of clean energy used to 40%. In May this year, with the commissioning of the 10 kV Big Data Entrepreneurship Park line, Gannan Data Port achieved four lines serving as backups for each other, with millisecond-level switching.

Regarding the coordination of computing and electricity, the Provincial Development and Reform Commission has issued the "Notice on Orderly Promoting the Development of Multi-User Green Power Direct Connection (Draft for Comments)," clarifying that it "gives priority support to new and future industries such as computing facilities and green hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol in carrying out green power direct connections." The notice requires projects to follow the principle of "matching load with source," with annual self-generated and self-used electricity accounting for no less than 60% of the total available power generation. Xuan Liang, Deputy General Manager of the Digital Department of China Southern Power Grid, pointed out that the "six-network" coordination is by no means a simple functional overlay; its essence lies in promoting the free flow of resources, functions, and data across networks. Only through collaborative linkage can the "1 + 1 > 2" synergy effect be realized.

The Provincial Development and Reform Commission clarified that Jiangxi is 'orderly promoting the development of direct green power connections and supporting places with conditions to build zero-carbon parks and zero-carbon factories,' and is 'accelerating the comprehensive market entry of renewable energy electricity and the market-oriented reform of electricity prices.' The energy utilization efficiency (PUE) of newly built and renovated computing infrastructure across the province is below 1.25, and 'coordination of electricity and computing, integration of computing and network' has been incorporated into the planning statements of the computing-power network. The '15th Five-Year Plan' outline proposes accelerating the construction of a new type of power system that is clean, low-carbon, safe, ample, economically efficient, coordinated in supply and demand, and flexibly intelligent. Jiangxi's '15th Five-Year Plan' outline clarifies that by 2030 the installed capacity of renewable energy power generation will reach more than 55 million kilowatts. Xing Wei, a researcher at the Macroeconomic Research Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission, pointed out that the essence of the 'Six Networks' is to achieve precise matching of energy flows, data flows, material flows, and information flows, and to push infrastructure construction from 'each acting independently' to 'coordinated networked construction.'

The implementation path of Jiangxi's new power grid is becoming increasingly clear: it is not simply about building more lines and erecting more towers, but about the layered coordination of the main grid, virtual power plants, and microgrids, delivering electricity to every place that needs it. This invisible energy foundation is providing inexhaustible power for the other five networks.

[Source: Jiangnan Metropolis Daily]

[Editor: Xiao Neng]