The 14th Five-Year Plan emphasizes the development of a modern, digitalized Energy Internet to enhance energy efficiency, integrate renewable sources, and support low-carbon transformation.

Overview of Energy Internet Goals

China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025) outlines a strategic push toward a modern energy system that leverages digital technologies to improve energy security, efficiency, and sustainability . The Energy Internet concept integrates smart grids, energy storage, renewable energy, and digital infrastructure to create a flexible, reliable, and low-carbon energy network. Key objectives include:

• Enhancing energy network security and emergency management to ensure stable supply .
• Promoting low-carbon transformation by increasing the share of non-fossil energy and electrification of end-use sectors .
• Integrating digital technologies such as big data, AI, and IoT to optimize energy production, distribution, and consumption .

Technological and Infrastructure Initiatives

The plan emphasizes the Industrial Internet and Internet of Vehicles (IoV) as part of the Energy Internet framework, enabling real-time monitoring, intelligent dispatching, and efficient energy management . Specific initiatives include:

• Smart grid expansion with flexible power supply reaching 24% and demand-side response capacity of 3–5% of maximum load .
• Energy storage and hydrogen energy development to support renewable integration and grid stability .
• National integrated big data centers and supercomputing facilities to enhance energy system modeling, forecasting, and operational efficiency .
• Digital upgrades of traditional infrastructure including power, transportation, and utilities to enable ubiquitous sensing and intelligent dispatching .

Strategic and Policy Implications

The Energy Internet is positioned as a key enabler of China's carbon peaking by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060 goals . The plan also emphasizes:

• Market-driven development to encourage private sector participation and innovation in energy digitalization .
• Support for green energy in developing countries while avoiding new overseas coal projects .
• Integration of renewable energy sources into the national grid to increase non-fossil energy consumption to about 20% and non-fossil power generation to 39% by 2025 .

Conclusion

China's 14th Five-Year Plan envisions the Energy Internet as a digitally integrated, low-carbon, and resilient energy system. By combining smart grids, energy storage, renewable energy, and advanced digital infrastructure, the plan aims to modernize energy production and consumption, enhance national energy security, and accelerate the transition to a sustainable, low-carbon economy .