Recent advancements on smart grids in China

China's 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) identifies smart grid development as a national priority in the energy sector. It is expected that through development of a strong smart grid across the nation, overall power grid security and efficiency can be largely improved and significant growth of relevant industrial sectors can be achieved. Consequently, different research and development programs are taking place, many of which have pilot activities involved to validate and demonstrate the technical and social-economic effectiveness of new technologies. This article gives an overview of the governmental policy and strategy that drives smart grid development, followed by detailed descriptions of research activities with respect to the implementation of China's smart grid vision. Based on the analysis and evaluation of difficulties and problems in the current system, the remaining gaps are identified for future activities to enable a smooth transition toward a strong and smart power grid in China.