In the heart of the Tengger Desert, over a million photovoltaic panels absorb energy from the sun atop the endless yellow sands. Beneath the panels, green seedlings thrive in the sand fixed by grass grids. Inside the desert experimental greenhouse, tomatoes, peppers, and watermelons bear abundant fruits.

　　Recently, the first batch of the country's first 'Shage Desert' new energy base—the National Energy Group Ningxia Tengger Desert New Energy Base Phase I 1 million kilowatt photovoltaic project has been connected to the grid, exploring a new path of 'new energy construction + desert ecosystem protection and restoration', marking new achievements in the construction of a new energy system in China.

　　The Ningxia Tengger Desert New Energy Base project focuses on building large-scale wind and photovoltaic bases, with corresponding thermal power peak-shaving units. The total installed capacity of new energy is 13 million kilowatts. This project is also a key supporting project of China's first ultra-high voltage transmission corridor mainly for developing large desert photovoltaic bases and transmitting new energy—the 'Ningdian into Xiang' project. After the Ningxia-Hunan ultra-high voltage project is put into operation, the proportion of green electricity transmitted will exceed 50%.

　　Ningxia is an important base for sending electricity from the west to the east. In recent years, Ningxia has utilized the method of 'inter-provincial mutual assistance' to jointly send 'wind, solar, and thermal' power through ultra-high voltage projects, with the scale of new energy power transmission increasing year by year, achieving a transition from transmitting thermal power to transmitting green power.

　　In the new era and new journey, China is accelerating the construction of large-scale wind and photovoltaic bases focused on desert, gobi, and barren areas, fully serving the high-quality development of the national economy and society. It is expected that by 2030, the total installed capacity of large-scale wind and photovoltaic bases in desert, gobi, and barren areas will reach 455 million kilowatts. By then, the green content of electricity sent from the west to the east will be even higher.

　　On the great rivers, the power of green electricity is also continuously accumulating. The Baihetan Hydropower Station is a major national project for implementing the west-to-east electricity transmission. After being completed and put into operation in December 2022, the six giant cascade hydropower stations on the main stream of the Yangtze River—Wudongde, Baihetan, Xiluodu, Xiangjiaba, Three Gorges, and Gezhouba—are jointly dispatched, forming the world's largest 'clean energy corridor'.

　　The six hydropower stations in the corridor have a total installed capacity of 71.695 million kilowatts, equivalent to the installed capacity of three Three Gorges power stations, producing approximately 300 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually. This electricity is continuously transmitted through projects such as Xiangjiaba—Shanghai, Xiluodu—Zhejiang, Baihetan—Jiangsu, and Baihetan—Zhejiang, effectively alleviating the electricity tension in Central China, East China, and provinces such as Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guangdong. In terms of energy conservation and emission reduction, it can save about 90.45 million tons of standard coal annually and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 250 million tons.

　　Lu Gang, director of the Energy Strategy and Planning Research Institute of the State Grid Energy Research Institute, stated that the implementation of the west-to-east electricity transmission strategy has accelerated the development and utilization of clean energy resources in the western region, sped up the national energy transition process, and strongly promoted the intensive development and large-scale transmission of large-scale cascade hydropower stations, large wind power, and solar power generation bases in the west.

　　Preliminary estimates suggest that by 2035, the national west-to-east electricity transmission capacity will exceed 500 million kilowatts, supporting clean energy installed capacity of around 600 million kilowatts. The proportion of clean energy electricity is expected to exceed 60%, and the contribution rate to the proportion of non-fossil energy will break through 25%, which will strongly promote the implementation of various energy transition commitments, serve the 'dual carbon' goals, accelerate the construction of a new power system, and build a new energy system.