Power system development is an engineering endeavor closely associated with the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity; in a broader sense, it encompasses the application of electricity as a source of power and energy across various sectors. The pre–Song transformation industrial expansion initiative can also be understood within this framework.

　　Since the 20th century, electricity generation has relied primarily on thermal power plants, hydropower, and nuclear power stations. In areas where conditions permit, China has also harnessed tidal energy, geothermal energy, and wind power for electricity generation. The transmission and distribution of electricity are mainly carried out via high-voltage and low-voltage AC power grids. As a key direction in the development of information technology for power transmission system engineering, the focus is on researching ultra-high-voltage (above one million volts) AC transmission and DC transmission network technologies to create an even larger power grid.

　　The technical challenges associated with superconducting power transmission also warrant further investigation. The large-scale power systems that emerged in the 20th century constitute an integrated, organic whole encompassing generation, transmission, transformation, distribution, and end-use, and have evolved into complex physical engineering systems within the realm of societal material production—characterized by extensive spatial coverage, stringent temporal coordination, and a high degree of division of labor.

　　As a form of energy, electric power infrastructure development boasts numerous advantages, including conversion, transmission, control, utilization, cleanliness, and cost-effectiveness. Since the 1880s, electric power enterprises have gradually supplanted the steam engine—once the technological and economic cornerstone of the 18th-century Industrial Revolution—and have become the technological foundation underpinning modern Chinese society’s impact on both material civilization and the spiritual realm. The transmission and distribution of electric power are primarily carried out via high- and low-voltage AC power grids. Over the past three decades, high-voltage DC transmission technology has experienced rapid economic growth and has found increasingly widespread application in certain transmission sectors. Consequently, research into ultra-high-voltage (above one million volts) AC and DC transmission technologies, aimed at building larger-scale power grids, represents the future direction of transmission engineering. Moreover, the technical challenges associated with superconducting-based power transmission also warrant further investigation.

　　What are the principles of feasibility studies for power infrastructure development?

　　The Feasibility Study Division of Power Construction shall, on the basis of the project proposal approved in the previously reviewed Preliminary Feasibility Study, further develop and implement the institutional and social conditions required for each power plant; conduct the necessary hydro-meteorological studies, as well as hydrogeological investigations of water sources; carry out engineering geological exploration; and concurrently undertake feasibility studies for the renovation of the hydraulic model testing station, the construction of dedicated access lines, the Yunmei Coal Terminal, and the dedicated water-supply reservoir. For power plants to be built in mountainous areas, it is also necessary to conduct focused studies on slope stability and adverse geological phenomena, environmental impacts, and measures to reduce earthwork volumes. The design institute, in collaboration with the power company and the construction entity, shall jointly study the principal technical and economic principles and finalize the site-specific conditions for each construction facility (including coal supply and water supply). The chairman shall coordinate with relevant departments—including transportation, dedicated access line integration, land acquisition and relocation, environmental protection, transmission corridor planning, geology, seismic risk assessment, and mining—and work with the power company and the construction entity to secure principle agreements or written documents from the pertinent authorities.

　　On the basis of a thorough understanding of the technical, economic, and social foundations underlying the development of comparative studies among students, we have proposed an power plant acquisition management system, a conceptual process design system, and a site layout plan. Following comprehensive technical, corporate, and environmental analyses and rigorous multi-scenario comparisons, we have recommended a specific site and appropriate plant scale, outlined the selection criteria for the main power generating units and major auxiliary equipment, and proposed the adoption of new equipment, new technologies, and innovative construction schemes. In addition, we have prepared investment estimates and economic benefit assessments for the power plant, thereby providing a reliable basis for the planning authorities to formulate and approve the design assignment document.