The total installed capacity of China's power plants reached 508.41 gigawatts at the end of 2005, ranking second in the world behind the United States.

 

China's power supply has witnessed rapid growth in recent years since the country launched the West-East Electricity Transmission Plan which aims to transfer power from the hydropower-rich southwest to the eastern provinces' economic powerhouses, said Yu Xinyang, chief engineer of State Electricity Regulatory Commission(SERC) at a recent symposium on the project.

 

"Power transmission balances the nation's power supply and increases exchanges between different provinces and regions." said Yu.

 

In 2005, China's total power consumption reached 2.47 trillion kWh. The transmission project contributed nearly 10 percent of this, according to the chief engineer.

 

The country's electricity regulatory body will continue to back the project through the optimum allocation of resources and effective management of power plants across the nation, said Yu.

 

(Xinhua News Agency January 18, 2006)