To better fulfill the corporate social responsibility and take full advantage of the power industry, State Grid Corporation of China, one of the world's largest utility firms, has launched a nationwide power grid initiative named Sunshine Poverty Relief Action since 2015 to tackle poverty in China's poor areas, according to the company.
By the end of 2015, State Grid has carried out plans for the initiative and made poverty alleviation a priority in its development strategy.
To implement the poverty alleviation decision made by the State Council, the company has established a team to push forward key tasks under the initiative.
Transmitting electricity to every village across the nation
State Grid has invested some 21.25 billion yuan ($3.2 billion) to provide sufficient electricity and power capacity for a total of 78,000 villages, including 36,300 poor villages and 1,879 areas of deep poverty, benefiting more than 9.72 million people.
In September 2017, the company has completed the electricity transmission task for poverty-stricken villages (excluding areas in the Tibet autonomous region), a goal set by the National Energy Administration and the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development in advance.
Conducting projects through photovoltaic poverty alleviation - building power networks and offering assistance to targeted areas
In the past years, State Grid has invested 2.04 billion yuan and installed network with gross power capacity of over 10.38 million kilowatts, benefiting 1.67 million poor households.
With an investment of 703 million yuan, the company's 77,000-kilowatt power stations in five targeted poor counties and districts cross Hubei and Qinghai provinces have generated profit of more than 60 million yuan all used for poverty-alleviation efforts and helped over 100,000 poor people increase their income.
Meanwhile, State Grid has donated a total of 228 million yuan in those targeted areas and launched 473 projects on sectors such as industrial development, infrastructure and first-aid actions.
The company is responsible for 1,213 poverty alleviation locations at all levels across the country. It has participated in setting up a 1 billion yuan industrial investment fund by the State-owned enterprises to help lift the poor areas out of poverty.
Implementing one-to-one aid plans in Madoi and Tsochen
State Grid has initiated one-to-one aid plans in Madoi county in Qinghai and Tsochen county in the Tibet autonomous region.
To date, the company has implemented 37 projects in Madoi and donated 169 million yuan for poverty relief in the region.
The aid fund in Tsochen has accumulated to 300 million yuan in an effort to help the areas speed up the construction of infrastructure, improve the livelihood of local residents and develop its pillar industries.
This year, State Grid is expected to invest 6.6 billion yuan for poverty alleviation and build 94 transmission lines that carry voltages above 35 kilo-volt, among which 18 is under construction now. The company plans to install 1,379 low-voltage power lines under 10kV in which 241 projects are under construction.
State Grid also aims to transform electricity network in areas of deep poverty and relocate 36 power supply projects to realize the broad electricity coverage of five counties including Metog and Bomi in Tibet.
From 2018 to 2020, the poverty relief fund in Madoi is expected to increase from 12 million yuan to 14 million yuan per year. And the fund for Tsochen will total at 92 million yuan in the same period of time to conduct targeted poverty alleviation such as relocating power supply projects, which is expected to benefit more than 26 million poor people.
(Executive editor: Hao Wen)
