Chapter 6: The Search for High Power in China: State Grid Corporation of China by XU Yi-chong State Grid Corp of China is now the world’s largest utility; it ranks second behind Walmart in the Global Fortune 500 for 2016; its 2015 revenue of US$329 billion surpassed the GDP of most countries. Its transmission networks absorb the world’s largest amount of both renewable and conventional electricity. Its UHV transmission lines, based largely on its own design and on Chinese- made equipment, span longer distances, operate at higher voltage, and experience lower power loss than any competitor has achieved. These advances provide China with an infrastructure framework that has long- term lock-in
Michael Davidson in Chapter 4, "Technology Integration in China’s Electricity System: Central Targets and Local Challenges" Technological progress of advanced electricity generation technologies over the same time period has primarily occurred in centrally state- owned enterprises (SOEs) under close coordination and funding by central ministries and national research institutions. Five-Year Plans have consistently highlighted the importance of energy efficiency and self-sufficiency, and spearheaded development and deployment programs for ultra- supercritical (USC) boilers, the world’s most efficient coal-fired power plant technology. China’s coal-fired fleet is now roughly 15 percent more ef