Electricity is an important symbol of modern civilization and an important support for national and social development. China's electric power industry has experienced the arduous process of starting from scratch, from backward to advanced, from closed to open, witnessing the struggle and achievements of the Chinese people in the field of electric power, and also reflecting the importance and influence of electric power on the country and society.
Foreigners lit the first electric light in China.
The origins of China's electric power industry can be traced back to 1882, when a British company installed a generator on Nanjing Road in Shanghai, which was the first electric light to be lit on the land of China.
The picture shows the Fengtian Electric Light Factory, which was formerly known as the Mint.
Sadly, in such an epoch-making move, the Chinese have become spectators, and the lighting of electric lights does not mean that the Chinese people can enjoy the convenience of electricity, on the contrary, it is just a tool for foreigners to plunder resources and exploit labor in China.
In the late Qing Dynasty, China was in a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society, and the great powers forcibly occupied China's coastal ports and inland cities through unequal treaties, dividing their respective concessions and spheres of influence. In these places, foreigners have built their own power plants to power their shops, factories, homes and military installations, while Chinese survive in the dark.
Even the Qing ** Imperial Palace can only rely on the alms of foreigners to light up a few electric lights. According to statistics, by the outbreak of the Xinhai Revolution in 1911, there were about 200 power plants in the country, with an installed capacity of about 80,000 kilowatts, of which foreign-funded power plants accounted for the vast majority, and they were mainly concentrated in the coastal and northeastern regions, and there was almost no electricity in the interior and rural areas.
The Chinese began to build their own civilian power plants.
The Xinhai Revolution overthrew the Qing Dynasty and established China, and the Chinese people began an anti-imperialist and anti-feudal democratic revolution. China's power industry has also made some progress with the development of industry, and the Chinese began to build their own civilian power plants, produce light bulbs, and set up power grids to provide electricity for the city's industry and people's livelihood.
It is a pity that at that time, the domestic war continued, and the foreign invasion continued, and China's electric power industry was developed.
**Electricity bill of the Huashang Electric Light Factory in Beiping during the period
Zhan is still under the control and interference of foreign powers, the electricity market is almost monopolized by foreign capital, power technology is blocked, the development of electricity is slow, limited to a few places in the cities, and many rural people have never heard of "electricity" as an energy source.
Kerosene lamps are still the main tool for night lighting.
It was not until the Chinese electric power workers began to carry out the struggle of the labor movement that the situation was slowly changed, and the power facilities were protected and the power stations were added, which laid the foundation for the development of the electric power industry in New China. By the time of the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, although the number of power plants in the country had increased to 500, the per capita electricity consumption was less than 10 kWh
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the electric power industry ushered in great development.
In 1949, the New Democratic Revolution finally won the victory, the People's Republic of China was founded, and China's electric power industry ushered in a new historical starting point.
In order to solve the people's basic living and national defense needs, we put forward the slogan of "upstairs and downstairs, electric light", vigorously developed the electric power industry, built a number of small and medium-sized hydropower stations and thermal power stations, restored and expanded the power grid, and realized the initial popularization of electricity in urban and rural areas.
During this period, China's power industry has made amazing achievements, and the installed power capacity has increased by 35 timesElectricity generation increased by 58 times;Per capita electricity consumption has increased by a factor of 25.
It's just that the foundation is too weak, the power is insufficient, the voltage is unstable, and the problems of frequent power outages have seriously restricted the further development of China's electric power industry, and also affected our economic and social development.
After the reform and opening up, the power industry has moved to a new height.
In 1978, the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee was held, opening a new era of reform and opening up, and China's power industry also ushered in new development opportunities. In order to realize the popularization and development of electric power, China has carried out a series of power system reforms, optimized the adjustment of the power structure in one fell swoop, and made China's electric power industry have made remarkable achievements, and the installed power capacity, power generation and per capita electricity consumption have sat on the throne of the world's first, and in just a few decades, the "power miracle" has been achieved!From 250 kWh in 1978 to 5,365 kWh in 2020, an increase of 21 times and exceeding the world average. The development of China's power industry not only meets the huge domestic demand, but also contributes to the world's energy security and climate change.
Among them, the most representative project is the Gezhouba Hydropower Station, which is the first large-scale hydropower project in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, and is also the anti-regulation and shipping cascade of the Three Gorges Project. The Gezhouba Hydropower Station was completed and put into operation in 1988, becoming the largest hydropower station in China at that time and one of the largest hydropower stations in the world at that time.
Gezhouba Hydropower Station not only provides a large amount of clean energy for the Yangtze River basin, but also plays an important role in flood control, shipping, irrigation and water resources allocation of the Yangtze River, which is a milestone in China's power industry.
In addition to hydropower, China's power industry has also made breakthroughs in other aspects, such as thermal power, nuclear power, wind power, solar energy, etc., forming a diversified power structure and improving the safety and reliability of electricity. It is a great contribution and a glorious mission of China's electric power industry to achieve the goal of electrifying every village and allowing 1.4 billion people across the country to enjoy the convenience of electricity.
In just a few decades, from kerosene lamps to electric lights to 100% coverage throughout the country, do you dare to imagine?