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Z. Lu and G. Zhu
(5) A new generation of artificial intelligence
Built on the ubiquitous sensing and advanced ICT and with the Internet of Things, big
data, cloud computing, deep learning and blockchain at the core, artificial intelligence
is rapidly evolving with the potential to be applied in such fields as power system
equipment management and system control, energy management and trading, and
may reshape the traditional landscape to create a new future featuring automatic and
autonomous processes, and lend a powerful hand in improving the safety, economy
and reliability of the new-generation power system. For instance, the variability
and uncertainty of solar power and the temporal and spatial uncertainties associated
with EVs will introduce more variables into the equation. Traditional methods of
analysis will meet a host of challenges in terms of scheduling, transaction and energy
management, to which artificial intelligence will be able to provide new insights and
solutions.
The development of these technologies will produce significant impacts on the
future power system, how it operates and how transactions are conducted. Indeed, the
development and application of these technologies are inextricably linked to market
demand. So economics must be considered. Only technologies and equipment proven
to be competitive in the market place will see broader application and continue to
evolve down the path.
The development of the new-generation power system will be a long-term process.
In this regard, new and meaningful technical trends may emerge during this process
beyond the above-mentioned ones. Therefore, it’s essential to keep abreast of potential innovation, continue to embrace new technologies and make due adjustments to
the system in a timely manner.
4.2 Research on China’s Power Generation Mix
4.2.1 The Evolution of China’s Power Generation Mix
Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, especially in the four decades
since the country embarked on reform and opening up, China has achieved remarkable social and economic success. In the meantime, the demand for electricity has
risen exponentially, and total installed capacity has grown consistently over the
years. In 1979, the Chinese mainland’s total installed capacity amounted to a mere
63.02 million kW, and it more than quadrupled to 298.77 million kW in 1999. Total
installed capacity scaled up to 2.01066 billion kW in 2019, a surge of more than
30-fold in the past four decades.
Figure 4.8 shows China’s installed capacity in the years between 1979 and 2019.
It can be seen that it has been growing year by year and the growth picked up pace
notably after 2003. The accelerated growth was due to, on the one hand, a surge
in the demand for electricity thanks to China’s soaring GDP after 2003, and on the
other hand, the reform of the power system in 2002, which split the State Power
Z. Lu and G. Zhu
(5) A new generation of artificial intelligence
Built on the ubiquitous sensing and advanced ICT and with the Internet of Things, big
data, cloud computing, deep learning and blockchain at the core, artificial intelligence
is rapidly evolving with the potential to be applied in such fields as power system
equipment management and system control, energy management and trading, and
may reshape the traditional landscape to create a new future featuring automatic and
autonomous processes, and lend a powerful hand in improving the safety, economy
and reliability of the new-generation power system. For instance, the variability
and uncertainty of solar power and the temporal and spatial uncertainties associated
with EVs will introduce more variables into the equation. Traditional methods of
analysis will meet a host of challenges in terms of scheduling, transaction and energy
management, to which artificial intelligence will be able to provide new insights and
solutions.
The development of these technologies will produce significant impacts on the
future power system, how it operates and how transactions are conducted. Indeed, the
development and application of these technologies are inextricably linked to market
demand. So economics must be considered. Only technologies and equipment proven
to be competitive in the market place will see broader application and continue to
evolve down the path.
The development of the new-generation power system will be a long-term process.
In this regard, new and meaningful technical trends may emerge during this process
beyond the above-mentioned ones. Therefore, it’s essential to keep abreast of potential innovation, continue to embrace new technologies and make due adjustments to
the system in a timely manner.
4.2 Research on China’s Power Generation Mix
4.2.1 The Evolution of China’s Power Generation Mix
Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, especially in the four decades
since the country embarked on reform and opening up, China has achieved remarkable social and economic success. In the meantime, the demand for electricity has
risen exponentially, and total installed capacity has grown consistently over the
years. In 1979, the Chinese mainland’s total installed capacity amounted to a mere
63.02 million kW, and it more than quadrupled to 298.77 million kW in 1999. Total
installed capacity scaled up to 2.01066 billion kW in 2019, a surge of more than
30-fold in the past four decades.
Figure 4.8 shows China’s installed capacity in the years between 1979 and 2019.
It can be seen that it has been growing year by year and the growth picked up pace
notably after 2003. The accelerated growth was due to, on the one hand, a surge
in the demand for electricity thanks to China’s soaring GDP after 2003, and on the
other hand, the reform of the power system in 2002, which split the State Power