Sichuan, China’s First Province with 100 Million kW Hydropower Installed Capacity, Boosts Clean Energy Transmission

As the first province in China with hydropower installed capacity exceeding 100 million kilowatts, Sichuan serves as the core hub of the country’s "West-to-East Power Transmission" strategy and leads the nation in cross-regional and inter-provincial clean energy transmission capacity. According to CCTV News, the installed hydropower capacity of Sichuan surpassed 100 million kW in December 2025, accounting for about a quarter of the national total, laying a solid foundation for its role in the national energy pattern.

Against the backdrop of accelerated construction of a new energy system, optimizing the entire chain of transmission channels has become the key to connecting the value channel for coordinated green economic development between eastern and western China. This requires integrating the coordinated development of hydropower, wind power and photovoltaic power, the regulation of multi-energy complementary systems, and full-scenario market-oriented consumption.

The full release of transmission channels’ value is rooted in reconstructing the power supply system with hydropower as the core anchor. Sichuan’s hydropower installation accounts for 20% of the country’s total, with cascade reservoir groups in the Jinsha, Yalong and Dadu River basins providing strong support for transmission channels. To address the core pain point of unbalanced channel utilization caused by hydropower’s seasonal fluctuations and climate adaptability challenges, it is essential to enhance the power system’s peak-shaving and interconnection capacity.

Promoting the coordinated development of hydropower, wind and photovoltaic power allows wind and photovoltaic power to achieve large-scale and high consumption relying on hydropower’s flexible regulation capacity. According to China Government Network, supporting the layout of wind and photovoltaic resources in river basins with the regulation capacity of large hydropower bases can not only improve the annual utilization rate of channels, but also realize large-scale green power supply.

The stable guarantee of transmission channels’ value lies in the construction of multi-energy complementary system regulation. The vulnerability of the "hydropower-dominated" power structure in extreme weather affects both local supply and cross-provincial power transaction stability. Accelerating the construction of pumped storage power stations, expanding the capacity of existing cascade power stations, and promoting multi-energy complementarity of hydropower, wind, photovoltaic, hydrogen and natural gas can strengthen the peak-shaving and valley-filling capacity of the power supply side.

The in-depth excavation of transmission channels’ value hinges on improving the multi-level market-oriented system. Sichuan’s total cross-provincial power transmission has exceeded 1.9 trillion kWh. According to the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration, improving power market rules adapted to new energy participation can accurately meet the needs of load centers, while expanding local consumption scenarios can transform Sichuan’s clean energy advantages into industrial and economic advantages, advancing its leap from a "major hydropower province" to a "strong clean energy province".