Power utility to upgrade rural electrical grid

China Southern Power Grid Co Ltd will invest 131.2 billion yuan ($19.1 billion) to upgrade rural electric power grid, prioritizing poverty stricken areas, during the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20).

The upgrades, which aim to meet demand from both agriculture and household consumption, will help address problems such as low voltage and insufficient supply, and the investment is up by 30 percent compared with the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15) period, it said.

In addition to low power voltage and insufficient power supply, some lines and equipment in rural areas have serious aging problems.