China's power revamp rebooted as State Grid resumes spinoff plan

Stalled reform drive spurred by green energy shift and customer complaints

20210308 Caixin grid China AP_19017205794121

State Grid was involved in the construction of 26 out of 30 UHV lines now operating in China.  © AP

CHEN XUEWAN, ZHAO XUAN, FAN RUOHONG and HAN WEI, Caixin

China's long-stalled power industry overhaul is regaining steam as the country's largest state-owned grid operator resumes efforts to downsize its mammoth business after nearly a decade of resistance that blocked further restructuring industrywide.

State Grid, the larger piece of China's power transmission duopoly and the world's biggest utility, is expected to spin off all of its equipment manufacturing operations by the end of 2021, according to a timetable unveiled by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's top economic planner.

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