The power supply system of Ningbo is an important part of that of East China and Zhejiang Province. Since the reform and opening-up and with the development of the economy, the city-wide power consumption has risen rapidly. In 2009, the city's power consumption was 40.03 billion KWh, as compared with 709 million KWh in 1978.

Since the reform and opening-up, the state has intensified its input into the power infrastructure construction in Ningbo to meet its economic growth. Investment has been made in big power projects such as Zhenhai Power Plant, Beilun Power Plant, Xikou Pumped Storage Station, Guohua Ninghai Power Plant and Wushashan Power Plant in Xiangshan. Now Ningbo has become an important power generation base, it supplies power not only to itself but also to the other parts of East China. At present, Ningbo has a total power generation capacity of 8,377,500 KW, including 3 million KW in Beilun Power Plant, 1,181,600 KW in Zhenhai and 1,243,450 KW in various kinds of local and self-owned power plants. The ports in Ningbo provide favorable conditions for building a number of large power plants. The first phase project of the 3 million KW Guohua Ninghai Power Plant and the Wushashan Power Plant project in Xiangshan has been put into operation . We may well believe that Ningbo will become an important energy base in East China in the future.

While carrying out the construction of power generation facilities, Ningbo has also speeded up the construction of power transmission and transforming facilities. In particular, a number of 500KV substations, built in the past several years, have greatly helped improve the structure of Ningbo power grid. By the end of 2009, there are in the city 177 substations of 110KV or above with a power transforming capacity of 34,470,000KVA.The power transmission and transforming facilities have basically been able to satisfy the power demand in the city.

In order to meet the increasing demand in power supply, Ningbo will further accelerate the construction and upgrading of its urban and rural power grid. In 2010, Ningbo will continue to invest heavily in its power construction in an effort to build a well-structured, reliable and efficient power grid.