China’s 12th Five Year Plan on Smart Grid Major Science and Technology Industrialization Projects, recently released by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), indicates that smart grid construction will accelerate even more than it has in the past.

China’s smart grid plan includes large-scale renewable energy and connection technology, the joint operation of large-scale energy storage technology, large-scale grid interconnection, long distance transmission control technology, distribution automation, microgrids, smart meters and demand response technology.

The plan also identifies the six major industries to take part in the accelerated smart grid effort:

• Clean energy generation manufacturing, such as wind and solar power generation
• New materials industry, including photoelectric conversion materials, energy storage materials, superconducting materials and nano-materials
• Infrastructure manufacturing, including new electrical and electronic devices, transformers and more
• Information and communication, including instrumentation, sensors, software and more
• Alternative energy automotive industry
• Home appliances and consumer electronics