China sets timetable for rural power grid upgrades

BEIJING -- China will start a new round of electricity power grid upgrades in rural areas to ensure nationwide coverage of stable supplies by 2020, according to a State Council notice released Monday.

The upgrades are aimed at meeting both demand from agriculture and household consumption. The project will address problems like low voltage and insufficient supply.

The urban-rural gap remains big in China, with many villages still lacking reliable water and power supplies. By the end of 2017, all village wells should be powered from the grid.

An earlier State Council meeting pledged to spend more than 700 billion yuan ($107 billion) on rural power grid upgrades.