Recently, the Yunnan Provincial Development and Reform Commission issued a notice on the "Implementation Plan for Promoting Green Electricity Direct Connection Construction in Yunnan Province."
The document specifies that priority support will be given to new projects in industries such as green aluminum, silicon PV, new energy batteries, non-ferrous metals (including rare and precious metals), data centers, hydrogen energy, phosphorus chemical industry, silicone, agricultural product processing, and biomedicine that comply with national and provincial industrial policies, as well as additional projects in the chain extension, complementation, and strengthening links. Projects with strong load regulation capabilities will be prioritized.
The full text is as follows:
Notice on Issuing the "Implementation Plan for Promoting Green Electricity Direct Connection Construction in Yunnan Province"
Yunnan Development and Reform Energy [2025] No. 577
To relevant provincial departments, development and reform commissions (energy bureaus), industry and information technology bureaus of various prefectures (cities), and relevant enterprises:
To further leverage Yunnan's green energy advantages, promote the local transformation of green electricity resources, and advance the in-depth implementation of "green electricity + advanced manufacturing," in accordance with relevant national document requirements, the "Implementation Plan for Promoting Green Electricity Direct Connection Construction in Yunnan Province" is hereby issued to you. Please conscientiously implement and ensure its execution.
Yunnan Provincial Development and Reform Commission
Yunnan Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology
Yunnan Provincial Energy Bureau
July 8, 2025
(This document is publicly released)
Implementation Plan for Promoting Green Electricity Direct Connection Construction in Yunnan Province
To thoroughly implement the important instructions from General Secretary Xi Jinping during his field trip to Yunnan, anchor the "3815" strategic development goals, develop and strengthen the "three major economies," fully leverage Yunnan's green energy advantages, and shape new industrial advantages through the integrated development of green electricity and industries, thereby promoting green and low-carbon transformation and upgrading of industries, this plan is formulated.
I. Scope of Application
Green electricity direct connection refers to a mode where clean energy such as wind power, PV, and biomass power generation is not directly connected to the public power grid but supplies green electricity to a single power user through direct connection lines, enabling clear physical traceability of the supplied electricity. The power supply should, in principle, be under-construction or new projects. Support will be given to new energy projects that cannot be connected to the grid due to reasons such as absorption limitations, allowing them to conduct green electricity direct connection after completing the corresponding change procedures. Distributed PV projects must strictly comply with national policies and regulations outlined in the "Management Measures for the Development and Construction of Distributed PV Power Generation" to ensure orderly implementation and promote the healthy development of distributed PV.
II. Development Goals
Green electricity direct connection projects shall be constructed and operated under the principles of safety first, green friendliness, equal rights and responsibilities, and source-load matching, while fairly and reasonably bearing safety, economic, and social responsibilities. This will promote the local absorption of new energy, better meet enterprises' green energy needs, and provide users with more options to reduce electricity costs.
III. Direct Connection Types
A direct connection line refers to a dedicated power line that directly connects the power supply with the power user. Based on whether the load is connected to the public power grid, it can be divided into two categories: grid-connected type and off-grid type.
(1) Grid-connected projects. These projects are connected to the public power grid as a whole, forming a clear physical and responsibility interface with the public power grid. The power supply should be connected to the user side at the property rights demarcation point between the user and the public power grid.
(2) Off-grid projects. These projects adopt an operation mode where the power supply directly supplies power to the power user through a dedicated line, and the load is not connected to the public power grid, forming a small-scale power supply system independent of the public power grid. Off-grid projects do not involve substantial power exchange with the public power grid and are usually applicable to regions with local loads, conditions for off-grid operation, temporary inability to connect to the public power grid, or limited conditions for grid connection. Projects should clarify the power balance mechanism, safety protection boundaries, and operational control responsibilities between the power supply and the load to ensure independent, safe, and stable operation of the system.
IV. Key Areas
(1) New load directions. Priority will be given to supporting new projects in industries such as green aluminum, silicon PV, new energy batteries, non-ferrous metals (including rare and precious metals), data centers, hydrogen energy, phosphorus chemical industry, silicone, agricultural product processing, and biopharmaceuticals that comply with national and provincial industrial policies, as well as new projects in the chain extension, supplementation, and strengthening links. Priority will also be given to supporting industrial projects with strong load regulation capabilities.
(2) Existing load directions. Support will be provided to export-oriented enterprises with rigid carbon reduction needs to explore and carry out direct connections of existing loads to green electricity using surrounding new energy resources.
(3) Other key directions. Other industrial projects planned by prefectures (cities) according to local conditions need to be assessed and approved by relevant provincial departments before implementation.
V. Implementation Pathways
(1) Strengthen planning coordination. The Provincial Development and Reform Commission, the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, and the Provincial Energy Administration should strengthen the coordinated planning of direct green electricity connection projects to ensure the orderly development of the direct green electricity connection mode. The scale of power load should have a basis and support. Direct connection lines and access systems should be included in the provincial or prefectural (city) energy and power planning according to voltage levels, and coordination with relevant territorial spatial planning and verification of the "one map" should be strengthened. After approval, they should be included in the "one map" of territorial spatial planning and approved or recorded in accordance with the "Administrative Measures for the Approval and Recording of Enterprise Investment Projects" and other regulations. The access voltage level of projects should not exceed 220 (330) kV in principle; if it is necessary to connect to 220 (330) kV, the provincial energy authorities, together with the Yunnan Regulatory Office of the National Energy Administration, should organize grid enterprises, project units, etc. to carry out a special assessment of power system safety risks to ensure the safe and stable operation of the power grid. The project should be constructed uniformly according to an integrated plan and put into operation simultaneously.
(II) Innovate the construction model. In principle, green electricity direct connection projects should be led by load enterprises as the main responsible units, and it is encouraged to have a unified development by the same investment entity. The project's power supply can be invested by load enterprises, power generation enterprises, or a joint venture company established by both parties. In principle, the direct connection dedicated line should be invested by the load and power supply entities. For projects adopting a multi-entity collaboration model, the load-side owner should lead the preparation of the project implementation plan, clarify the power allocation and cooperation model, and sign a medium and long-term green electricity purchase and sale agreement or an energy performance contracting agreement. Support is given to various business entities, including private enterprises (excluding power grid enterprises), to invest in green electricity direct connection projects. For new energy projects that have not yet commenced the construction of power grid access projects or are unable to be connected to the grid due to limited new energy consumption capacity, conducting green electricity direct connection requires re-approval of the access system plan by the power grid enterprise. To facilitate the realization of local new energy consumption, unified coordination of power supply and load, and the investment and registration procedures for access lines, the distance between the load and the power supply collection station should, in principle, not exceed 50 kilometers, and the layout of the load and power supply should, in principle, be within the same administrative region of a prefecture (city).
(III) Strengthen the source-load matching. Grid-connected projects should follow the principle of "determining the source based on the load" to scientifically determine the type of power supply, installed capacity, and energy storage capacity. The projects should prioritize self-consumption, with the surplus electricity being fed into the grid. The annual self-consumption of power by the projects should account for no less than 60% of the total available power generation and no less than 30% of the total electricity consumption, with this proportion increasing to no less than 35% by 2030. The upper limit of the electricity fed into the grid should not exceed 20% of the total available power generation. If the spot market in Yunnan Province experiences interruptions during its operation, grid-connected green electricity direct connection projects are not allowed to reverse power to the public grid.
(IV) Strengthen operational management. Power grid enterprises should provide fair and non-discriminatory grid connection services to green electricity direct connection projects that meet grid connection conditions and handle relevant grid connection procedures in accordance with the "Regulatory Measures for Fair and Open Access to Power Grids". The overall project and its internal power sources of grid-connected projects should be managed by the dispatching agency according to the access voltage level and capacity scale. Except in emergencies affecting the safe and stable operation of the public system, the dispatching agency should issue dispatching plans in accordance with the power generation and consumption curves autonomously arranged by the projects. Grid-connected green electricity direct connection projects and the public grid should form a clear and defined safety responsibility interface at the property rights demarcation point. The projects should comprehensively consider factors such as internal source-load characteristics, balancing capacity, economic benefits, and power exchange with the public grid, autonomously and reasonably declare grid connection capacity, and negotiate with power grid enterprises to determine power supply responsibilities and costs beyond the grid connection capacity. The projects should have the conditions for separate metering and install necessary metering devices at the grid connection point, internal power sources, loads, energy storage, direct connection lines, and other links to ensure that the electricity data is accurate and can be used for transaction settlement and supervision.
(V) Enhance regulation capacity. Green electricity direct connection projects should achieve collaborative optimization of internal resources. Grid-connected projects should ensure that the exchange power with the public power grid does not exceed the declared capacity by reasonably configuring energy storage systems (ESS), tapping into the potential for flexible load regulation, and other means, and should independently bear the responsibility for power supply interruptions caused by their own reasons. The project planning scheme should reasonably determine the maximum load peak-to-valley difference rate of the project, and the power peak-to-valley difference rate of the exchange power between the project and the public power grid should not exceed the planned value in the scheme. During periods when it is difficult to absorb new energy, the project should not reverse power to the public power grid.
(VI) Trading and pricing mechanisms. Grid-connected green electricity direct connection projects should, in principle, participate in the electricity market trading as a whole and settle accounts based on the exchange power with the public power grid. The project load should not be purchased by power grid enterprises on behalf of the project. If the project's power supply and load do not belong to the same investment entity, they should participate in the electricity market trading in an aggregated form. Green electricity direct connection projects should pay transmission and distribution fees, system operation costs, policy-based cross-subsidies, government funds, and surcharges in accordance with the relevant regulations of the price and financial authorities of the State Council. Localities should not reduce or exempt relevant fees in violation of state regulations. Before the introduction of the national transmission and distribution pricing policy for green electricity direct connection projects, for the self-generated and self-consumed electricity of grid-connected green electricity direct connection projects, in addition to fairly bearing government funds, cross-subsidies, and paying system operation costs, a system reserve fee should be temporarily paid based on the reserve capacity required from the public power grid. For electricity downloaded from the public power grid, the unified transmission and distribution pricing approved by the state and the province should be implemented. For off-grid green electricity direct connection projects, government funds and policy-based cross-subsidies should be fairly borne. For projects that truly do not require reserve capacity from the public power grid, no system reserve fee should be temporarily charged. Settlement will be carried out in accordance with relevant regulations after national policies are clarified.
VI. Work Procedures
(I) Project Application. All localities and departments should plan and reserve a batch of green electricity direct connection projects based on the current development status of their respective regions and industries, energy supply security, and factor guarantee conditions. Load enterprises should take the lead in preparing project implementation plans based on the project maturity. The Development and Reform Commissions, Industry and Information Technology Bureaus, and Energy Bureaus of various prefectures (cities) should conduct preliminary reviews together with power grid enterprises, assessing the project construction scale, implementation conditions, absorption capacity, and feasibility of grid connection. Projects that pass the review should be submitted by the three departments jointly to the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Provincial Industry and Information Technology Department, and Provincial Energy Bureau with the project implementation plans (including preliminary review assessment opinions). Each prefecture (city) should submit projects according to procedures by the 10th day of the end of each quarter (the first submission time is July 31, 2025).
(II) Organize Scheme Review. The Provincial Development and Reform Commission, the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, and the Provincial Energy Administration entrusted third-party consulting institutions to conduct reviews of project implementation plans, fully soliciting opinions from the Yunnan Regulatory Office of the National Energy Administration and power grid enterprises to ensure the economic and technical feasibility and system security of the plans. After comprehensive evaluation, a list of projects was determined and publicized on the departmental portal website (for no less than five working days). Subsequently, a joint document was issued to announce the list of green electricity direct connection projects across the province, which served as the basis for project approval. New energy projects within the green electricity direct connection projects that were not yet included in the annual new energy construction list were directly incorporated into the annual new energy construction list.
(III) Promote Construction and Implementation. For power supplies, loads, energy storage systems, and direct connection lines within green electricity direct connection projects, approval and filing procedures shall be handled in accordance with the law and regulations, categorized by type, based on the construction content and scale specified in the list of green electricity direct connection projects. After the approval, approval, or filing of green electricity direct connection projects is completed, the project owners shall submit grid connection applications to power grid enterprises. After the grid connection plan for green electricity direct connection projects is approved, the project owners shall commence the construction of green electricity direct connection projects and grid connection lines, while power grid enterprises shall undertake the construction of supporting power grid projects, collaborating to ensure the timely grid connection of green electricity direct connection projects.
(IV) Conduct Follow-up Evaluation. The Provincial Development and Reform Commission, the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, and the Provincial Energy Administration organized relevant units to establish a tracking guidance and mid-term evaluation mechanism, regularly scheduling project construction progress, coordinating and resolving difficulties and issues encountered during project promotion. A mid-term evaluation was conducted at the end of 2026, and projects with slow progress were promptly adjusted out of the project list. For projects already included in the project list, if the load enterprise no longer possesses the capacity for continuous electricity consumption due to reasons such as project suspension, production halt, relocation, or bankruptcy, the development and reform commission, industry and information technology bureau, and energy administration of the prefecture (city) where the project is located shall organize third-party institutions to conduct verification and evaluation, promptly terminating the implementation qualification of the green electricity direct connection project and reporting it to the relevant provincial departments for filing. Support shall be provided for eligible power supply projects to be converted for other uses or connected to the grid for market-based consumption, ensuring the sustainable operation and reasonable returns of power supply investment assets.
VII. Organizational Guarantee
The Provincial Development and Reform Commission, the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, the Provincial Energy Administration, and other units established a special working group for promoting green electricity direct connection projects to review and approve project implementation plans, coordinate and resolve major issues encountered during project promotion, and promptly evaluate project effectiveness. Power grid enterprises and power market operation institutions shall fully implement the relevant provisions of this document in accordance with their respective responsibilities, continuously enhancing their service capabilities and technical support levels for project grid connection and participation in market transactions. Development and reform, industry and information technology, and energy departments of various prefectures (cities) shall fulfill their territorial management responsibilities, organize project implementation, urge relevant units to strictly implement safety production management systems, strengthen risk prevention and control measures in various stages such as preliminary planning, construction, and operation, and promote the healthy and orderly development of the green electricity direct connection model.
Attachment: Outline for the Preparation of Implementation Plan for Direct Green Electricity Connection Projects
Attachment
Outline for the Preparation of Implementation Plan for Direct Green Electricity Connection Projects
I. Preparation Basis and Implementation Principles
(1) Preparation Basis
Based on relevant policy documents such as the "Energy Law of the People's Republic of China", the "Administrative Measures for the Approval and Filing of Enterprise Investment Projects", the "Administrative Measures for the Development and Construction of Distributed PV Power Generation", and the "Notice from the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration on Orderly Promoting the Development of Direct Green Electricity Connection Projects".
(2) Scope of Application and Project Types
Applicable to direct green electricity connection projects where clean energy sources such as wind power, PV, and biomass power generation directly supply electricity to a single power user through dedicated power lines, categorized into grid-connected and off-grid types. Grid-connected projects must form a clear physical interface with the public power grid and connect to the user side. The voltage level of the project shall, in principle, not exceed 220 kV.
(3) Basic Principles
Adhere to the principles of safety priority, environmental friendliness, equal rights and responsibilities, and source-load matching to promote the local consumption of clean energy and facilitate the green transformation and development of enterprises.
(4) Design Reference Year
Clarify the construction progress of green electricity power sources, the scale of load formation, and the completion nodes for power grid access, comprehensively considering the commissioning time of power sources, loads, energy storage, and direct connection lines.
II. Project Overview and Construction Necessity
(1) Project Overview
Describe the project location, construction scale, investment entity, and project classification (grid-connected or off-grid), clarifying the types of power sources and loads.
(2) Analysis of Construction Necessity
Demonstrate the practical basis and policy support for project implementation from aspects such as enterprise green energy consumption needs, local consumption capacity, resource conditions, and power grid access conditions.
III. Overall Project Design Scheme
(1) Overall Scheme Design
Comprehensively prepare an integrated construction plan for power sources, loads, energy storage, direct connection lines, and access systems, clarifying system risk assessment, power quality management, and safety measures to achieve simultaneous design, construction, and commissioning.
(2) Analysis of Source-Load Matching and Regulation Capacity
Analyze the matching between power sources and loads. The proportion of self-generated and self-consumed electricity should be no less than 60% of the total power generation and 30% of the total electricity consumption of the project, with a target of no less than 35% before 2030. Possess reasonable regulation capacity and energy storage configuration, clarifying peak-valley regulation levels and backup mechanisms.
IV. Main Design Contents
(1) Power Source Construction Plan
Clarify the attributes of power sources (existing/incremental), whether the project is included in the provincial development and construction plan, whether the project owner has been selected, and the construction and commissioning timeline.
(II) Load Construction Plan
Describe the situation of new or existing loads, whether they align with the key areas, and the energy consumption sequence and load intensity.
(III) Direct Connection Line Construction Plan
Propose the construction entity for the direct connection line (clarify whether it is the load or power supply enterprise), specify the line route, voltage level, property rights division, and safety distance. Avoid crossing public facilities as much as possible. If crossing is necessary, propose corresponding safety technical measures.
(IV) Access System Configuration
Explain the project's grid connection plan, metering method, power grid interface technical plan, and responsibility interface division.
(V) Energy Storage Facility Configuration
Based on the project situation, configure a reasonable proportion of energy storage systems to enhance the system's flexible regulation capability and meet requirements such as peak-to-valley difference and power quality management. Energy storage should be self-constructed and not participate in the power market trading as an independent entity.
V. Analysis of Project Implementation Conditions
(I) Power Supply Construction Conditions
Explain the project site selection, access conditions, and approval procedures handling status.
(II) Load-Side Implementation Conditions
Explain the basis for load formation, relevant investment agreements, and the implementation status of energy management systems.
(III) Line Construction Conditions
Issues related to land use, corridors, safety, and boundaries with the public power grid.
(IV) Energy Storage Implementation Conditions
Energy storage station site, technical route, equipment configuration, operation plan, and safety measures.
VI. Power System Safety Assessment
Based on standards such as the "Grid Operation Criteria," assess the project's impact on regional power grid stability, voltage support, and power quality, and clarify countermeasures.
VII. Investment Estimation and Financial Analysis
Clarify the investment composition of each part, including power supply, load, direct connection lines, energy storage systems, etc., and the total investment estimation. Conduct analysis on indicators such as financial internal rate of return and investment payback period, and reasonably estimate the power sales unit price and cost.
VIII. Economic and Social Benefits Analysis
Comprehensively analyze the comprehensive value of project implementation from both economic and social benefits perspectives, highlighting the positive role of direct green electricity supply in promoting industrial green transformation, enhancing energy utilization efficiency, and driving regional economic development.
IX. Project Implementation Path and Safeguard Measures
Clarify the responsibilities of the project investment entity, investment and construction mode (such as self-investment, joint venture, contract energy management, etc.), key period sequence arrangements, and risk control mechanisms. If the power supply, load, energy storage system (ESS), and direct connection lines do not belong to the same investment entity, the power supply shall be subject to a market-based selection process for project owners by the state (or municipality) in accordance with relevant regulations.
X. Appendix Materials
1. Business license and credit certificate of the project investment entity.
2. Approval (or record-filing) documents for load construction or framework agreements signed between the project construction unit and the local government.
3. If the power supply in a green electricity direct connection project is an ongoing project, a cooperation agreement between the power supply project owner and the load enterprise shall be attached. If it is a newly added wind or solar power supply, the project's vector coordinates shall be provided, along with supportive opinions on project site selection issued by the state (or municipality) factor department.
4. Preliminary review opinions from the location where the project is to be implemented.
5. Technical documents for the overall project plan (including access plans, relay protection and secondary system configurations, etc.).
6. Power purchase and sale agreements between the source and load, energy performance contracting agreements, property rights division and operation and maintenance agreements, etc.
