Power engineering encompasses the generation, transmission, and distribution of electric power; in a broader sense, it also includes applications of electricity as a source of power and energy across various sectors, and can be understood as extending to projects related to the expansion of power transmission and transformation systems.

　　Since the 20th century, electricity generation has primarily relied on thermal power plants, hydropower stations, and nuclear power plants. Where conditions permit, tidal, geothermal, and wind power are also utilized. The transmission and distribution of electricity are mainly carried out through high- and low-voltage AC power grids. As the future direction of development in power transmission technology, the key focus is on researching ultra-high-voltage (above one million volts) AC and DC transmission technologies to build larger power grids; at the same time, technical challenges related to superconducting power transmission also require further study.

　　The large-scale power systems that emerged in the 20th century integrated generation, transmission, transformation, distribution, and consumption into a cohesive, organic whole, forming a physical engineering system within the social sector of material production that is characterized by extensive spatial coverage, stringent temporal coordination, and a highly complex hierarchical division of labor.

　　As a form of energy, electricity boasts numerous advantages, including versatility in conversion, transmission, control, and utilization, as well as being clean and cost-effective. Since the 1880s, electricity has gradually supplanted the steam engine—once the technological cornerstone of the 18th-century Industrial Revolution—to become the technological foundation of both the material and cultural achievements of modern society. The transmission and distribution of electricity are primarily accomplished through high- and low-voltage AC power grids. Over the past three decades, high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) transmission technology has advanced rapidly and is now being increasingly deployed in various power transmission applications.

　　Electrical Engineering Design

　　I. Management System of the Electric Power Survey and Design Institute

　　1. Management system of the design institute

　　Within the design institute’s management system and administrative division of responsibilities, the Planning Department is responsible for the allocation and balancing of production tasks, while the Technical Department is responsible for quality improvement. The Production Department oversees engineering design, the Technical Economics Department manages investment control, and all activities are guided and supervised by the Comprehensive Quality Management Office.

　　2. Management System for Specific Projects

　　The Chief Engineer for Power Engineering Design bears comprehensive responsibility for the project, with primary duties including external liaison, submission of applications to relevant authorities and key proposals, and coordination among all disciplines to ensure timely completion of the construction schedule. The chief engineers of each discipline are responsible for the quality of their respective specialties; through pre-construction guidance, interim inspections, and review of drawings and specifications, they assist the project leader in developing design solutions and formulating quality management measures specific to their discipline.

　　In addition to appointing a chief designer responsible for external coordination, each discipline further divides design tasks internally with the support of section chiefs, department heads, and engineers, thereby ensuring rigorous implementation of the established design plan and timely completion of assignments. In power engineering, the primary focus should be on guaranteeing the quality of the finished project upon delivery, as well as conducting pre-emptive reviews of major design schemes to verify their compliance with the Party’s principles and policies and to ensure that they are rational, economical, and reliable. For certain specific projects, the design process generally requires an initial feasibility study.