China has completed laying power grids in poor areas of the country

The State Grid Corporation of China reported on the completion of the energy grid construction program in poor areas of the country, Xinhua News Agency reported on July 2. As part of the program, electricity became available to 17.77 million residents in 198 poor counties in five regions of the country at the provincial level, including Sichuan, Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang and Tibet. From 2018 to 2020, a total of 7,957 energy projects were completed for a total investment of 30.4 billion yuan (about $4.31 billion) in these regions. Now the level of electrification of these regions has approached the national average for 2020. It is noted that farmers and herders of poor regions received priority to participate in the construction of these projects, thanks to which 34 thousand new jobs were created and 223 billion yuan was attracted in the construction and equipment production sectors. In 2018, China launched a three-year plan to improve energy networks in poor areas of the country, while all tasks were completed by the end of June, the National Energy Administration said.