Accelerating the Development of a New Power System for a Sustainable Energy Transition: Highlights from the 2025 International Forum on Energy and Power Transformation

The 2025 International Forum on Energy and Power Transformation was held in Beijing from May 19 to 20, 2025. This forum, co-hosted by State Grid Corporation of China, the International Renewable Energy Agency, the World Energy Council, and the World Economic Forum, featured participation from ten globally renowned power companies. The theme of the forum was “Accelerating Energy Transition through New Power Systems”. It aimed to foster communication, share practical achievements, explore new developments, enhance international cooperation, and work together to promote the green transformation and sustainable development of energy and power.

Representatives from 30 countries and regions across five continents attended the forum. State Grid Corporation of China Chairman Zhang Zhigang delivered the opening speech, along with keynote addresses from Wan Jinsong, Deputy Director of the National Energy Administration, Carmela, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency, Wilkinson, Secretary-General and CEO of the World Energy Council, Liang Jinhui, Executive Director of the World Economic Forum, and Korps, Chairman of the International Electrotechnical Commission.

During his speech, Zhang Zhigang emphasized the importance of actively addressing the challenges posed by climate change and accelerating the clean and low-carbon transformation of energy, which has become a common consensus in the international community. He noted that the State Grid Corporation is implementing the Chinese government’s directives by enhancing system stability management, ensuring the safety of the large power grid, and promoting the upgrade of the grid to support the high-quality development of new energy. The corporation is also committed to driving technological innovation, building an engine for energy transformation, deepening digital empowerment, and improving the digital and intelligent level of the power grid.

According to Zhang, building a new power system is more challenging and complex than traditional systems. It requires a focus on balancing development and security, restructuring the technological innovation mechanism, and improving economic mechanisms. The State Grid Corporation looks forward to strengthening cooperation with all parties to accelerate the construction of a new power system and jointly create a bright future for energy transformation, striving for a clean, beautiful, and sustainable world.

Wan Jinsong congratulated the forum on its success, stating that actively addressing climate change and accelerating energy transformation has become a global consensus. In recent years, China has aligned its energy development with global trends, adhering to its national conditions and development stage while implementing the new energy security strategy of “Four Revolutions and One Cooperation.” This includes systematic planning for the construction of a new energy system and a new power system, paving a path for energy transformation that suits China’s conditions and meets the demands of the times.

He noted that energy transformation is a daunting, complex, and long-term process that requires mutual respect among countries, seeking common ground while reserving differences, expanding consensus, and moving forward together. China adheres to the concept of a shared future for humanity and is willing to collaborate with other nations based on the principles of consultation, construction, and sharing, continuously strengthening communication and coordination on energy policies, and engaging in cooperative energy technology innovation for mutually beneficial outcomes.

Carmela highlighted the significant increase in global renewable energy generation capacity, primarily driven by China. She commended China’s substantial efforts in promoting clean energy transformation through infrastructure development that accommodates large-scale, high-proportion renewable energy, setting an example for the world. Over the past decade, China has constructed more than 500,000 kilometers of transmission lines, accounting for over one-third of the world’s new transmission lines. High-voltage transmission lines effectively connect renewable-rich western and northern provinces with eastern load centers. She expressed hope that all parties would expedite the deployment of grid infrastructure, establish regulatory policy frameworks, and enhance capacity-building mechanisms to achieve the 2030 renewable energy installation targets.

Wilkinson stated that the world is currently at a critical juncture in energy transformation, and China’s trajectory in energy is shaping the global energy landscape. The State Grid Corporation possesses the vision, capability, and historical legacy to potentially serve as a cornerstone for the next phase of global energy governance. The World Energy Council hopes to invite Chinese energy companies, including the State Grid Corporation, to share experiences and learnings, co-create partnerships, and establish a new paradigm guided by circularity, ensuring abundant energy supply while safeguarding human welfare and building a cleaner, smarter, fairer, and more resilient energy system.

Liang Jinhui remarked on China’s significant role in developing and utilizing renewable energy, promoting green energy transformation, and driving the growth of the electricity sector. She praised the State Grid Corporation for its innovative efforts in large-scale high-voltage projects and superconducting cable demonstration projects, which enhance the safety and efficiency of electricity transmission and support the integration of large-scale renewable energy into the grid.

Looking to the future, pushing for energy transformation requires improving energy efficiency, promoting material recycling, establishing local partnerships, enhancing energy infrastructure’s resilience to extreme weather, and fostering trust and communication globally. The World Economic Forum is focused on transforming energy and material systems and aims to work with all stakeholders to stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and support sustainable energy development.

Korps remarked that the world currently faces the dual challenges of climate change and energy security, making the urgency of transforming power systems unprecedented. The creation of a resilient, digital, renewable energy-driven new power system is imperative. The International Electrotechnical Commission remains committed to achieving equipment digitization and electrification, promoting sustainable development, and establishing trust through global cooperation. Throughout the transformation process, the Commission continues to provide a technical foundation for energy transformation through standardization efforts in smart grids, distributed energy, and electric vehicle charging, promoting global collaboration.

The forum also featured discussions among renowned scholars, CEO roundtables, and specialized seminars, facilitating in-depth exchanges on key issues related to the construction of new power systems and energy transformation. Participants shared cutting-edge technologies, innovative achievements, and best practices, outlining a development blueprint for new power systems and offering innovative solutions to the challenges of energy transformation, which holds profound significance for promoting the sustainable development of the global energy and power sector.

The forum announced significant technological achievements in the construction of new power systems, including flexible DC equipment for offshore wind power, operational control of large power grids with a high proportion of new energy, the State Grid Corporation’s Bright Power Model, and the standardized outcomes of the “Double 800” ultra-high voltage direct current project. These advancements provide robust support for nurturing new productive forces in the energy sector.

Additionally, three special technical seminars were held on topics such as new energy and power markets, technological innovation in new power systems, and zero-carbon development in urban power grids. Technical visits to the Zhangbei National Wind-Solar Storage Transmission Demonstration Base and flexible DC grid projects, among others, were organized, alongside exhibitions showcasing products and technologies from relevant domestic and international enterprises, vividly illustrating China’s innovative practices in the field of new power systems.

This forum is a significant event held at a critical stage in the global energy transition and serves as a premier gathering for the energy and power sector. Attendees noted that the international forum on energy and power transformation has achieved remarkable scale and impact, bringing together renowned experts, scholars, and corporate executives to offer forward-looking, constructive, and feasible insights on cutting-edge topics such as new power systems and renewable energy technologies. It serves as a platform for exchanging ideas on global energy transition and green low-carbon development, sharing academic and practical advancements in the innovation of power systems, and facilitating high-level dialogue among leaders and innovators in the energy sector.

The forum showcased China’s solutions and actions for energy and power transformation, promoting the sharing of international experiences and technological cooperation, playing an essential role in building a community with a shared future in the energy sector, and advancing global sustainable energy development.